The Siege
by hbomba
Summary: Taking place immediately after the events of 'Outlanders', The Siege continues the story of the Dark Queen and her Human lover as they navigate the castle's danger at every turn as Vex and Evony are on the loose and threatening to take over again.
1. Chapter 1

Title: The Siege

Authors: hbomba &amp; lonejaguar

Rating: M

Summary: Taking place immediately after the events of 'Outlanders', The Siege continues the story of the Dark Queen and her Human lover as they navigate the castle's danger at every turn as Vex and Evony are on the loose and threatening to take over again.

Author's Notes: This is the third part of a trilogy. Please read 'In Our Bedroom After the War' + 'Outlanders' first. I promise you will enjoy it more if read altogether.

* * *

"Every lover is a soldier" - Ovid

* * *

"Destiny is a stubborn maiden. She likes herself just the way she is." - Ella Leya

* * *

"Kenzi, come in."

Oren's heart beat thudded in his ears and he began to sweat. The blood he could handle, he survived the war, after all. It was the fear of the unknown. If the Mesmer had done this, what would it do to him? He pulled the flashlight from his belt and walked toward the darkened corner of the dungeon. Sheer darkness awaited him around that corner, the kind that terror is born in. He swallowed. As Oren advanced on the darkness with his flashlight in one hand, his other tapping nervously on the butt of his gun-it was a nervous habit that calmed him slightly. A few more steps and a disturbing _crunch_ echoed through the dungeon. Oren shone a light on his feet to reveal a pair of glasses, now underfoot.

"Shit." He lifted the radio to his lips again. "Kenzi, come in," he said, more urgently. He picked the glasses up and put them in his breast pocket, returning to his stance with his hand over his side arm and the flashlight poised and aimed at the darkness. He turned the corner.

"I don't want any trouble, folks," he called into the darkness. "Let's not make this harder than it has to be…" He stepped into the abyss. The lights had been shut off since the Queen had freed the prisoners of war and despite having to walk this beat for the past week, Oren couldn't help but feel chilled by the environment he found himself in. His flashlight swept the cells, scanning for the infamous duo. For some reason Oren always had a hard time turning his back on the last cell so he was walking backwards towards the light when he felt a hand on his shoulder. The shock nearly stopped his heart and he spun around, bumbling for his weapon.

"You rang?" Kenzi said, unable to disguise her smile even in the dark.

"Jesus, Kenzi!" Oren put a hand on his chest. "I could've shot you!"

"Yeah, I was pretty scared when I saw you walking backwards down the corridor." He looked at his shoes bashfully. "Any sign of the prisoners?" When Kenzi started walking toward the elevator, Oren followed eagerly.

He shook his head. "Floor is secure."

"Good," Kenzi said.

He produced the broken glasses from his pocket. "And I found these just over there," he pointed to the darkened portion of the dungeon.

Kenzi tapped on the elevator call button. "Good work." She said as the doors opened. "I need you to stay down here awhile longer while I brief the Queen." She stepped into the car and punched the penthouse button. The concern on her face was obvious, but she did her best to conceal it with a brief smirk. "Stay alert," she reminded him as the doors closed.

It was the last place on Earth he wanted to be but Oren supposed there were worse places in the world. After all, babysitting a pair of corpses was an easy assignment in the grand scheme of things. He just hoped the killer didn't come back for a visit.

* * *

Bo undressed her slowly, savoring every thread that she peeled away. Lauren was cocooned in Bo's embrace, There was so much emotion tied up in her movements. The way her eyes scanned the expanses of skin as she uncovered them, wetting her lips in anticipation but resisting actually touching her until the last article of clothing was discarded.

Lauren was her willing collaborator, removing Bo's clothes much less methodically than the Queen had taken hers. She also couldn't help but to capture Bo's throat in her mouth, nipping at that sweet spot near her ear before whispering, "My Queen…"

Bo's hands were instantly on her hips, lifting her in the air and laying her onto the bed like a precious object. She stood back, admiring momentarily, and covered Lauren with her body at last. With all that had transpired in the past few weeks, Lauren was still on edge. The discord between her and Bo had been difficult but they were finally as they were meant to be again. Together.

Lauren flinched. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Bo kissed her way along her collarbone.

Lauren put a hand on Bo's shoulder to still her. "The elevator. I swear, I just heard it."

"Let them come, we're busy."

"Bo…" Lauren smiled as she kissed along her neck.

And then a knock sounded in the bedroom. They could hear Kenzi clearing her throat through the door before Bo answered. "We're busy," she said, undeterred from her mission.

"Something terrible has happened." Kenzi said through the door. "I'm afraid it needs your immediate attention."

Bo dropped her head to Lauren's shoulder and grunted. "So much for peace and quiet," Lauren sighed.

* * *

They dressed in a hurry, Bo pulling an elegant sapphire kimono over her naked shoulders. She tied the sash in an instant and was out the door. Lauren slipped into her jeans and followed soon after, pulling a t-shirt over her head. Kenzi was just starting to speak when Lauren settled on the living room sofa.

"Tell me what you know," the Queen said almost immediately after sitting down.

"I received a radio call at midnight. Corporal Kershaw reported two men down and prisoners missing-"

"Prisoners missing?" Bo repeated. There were no other prisoners in the tombs so Lauren knew exactly who she meant.

Kenzi nodded carefully. "Vex and Evony are not accounted for."

"How is that even possible?" Bo got to her feet, outrage bubbling to the surface. "I want to see the scene."

Lauren took her wrist in her head before she was able to take a step. "It's not safe, Bo." She stood.

"If I may," Kenzi interjected. "If Vex and Evony are still in the castle, there's no telling what they'll do. Verns is on his way up to stay with you, until we can get this under control."

Bo growled and pulled her hand away. "You can't expect me to hide away until this blows over."

"She's right," Lauren said. "Your safety is more important than keeping up appearances." Lauren grabbed her jacket off the back of the wingback chair.

Bo took a step after her. "Wait, where are you going?"

"I need to find out how the guards were killed." Lauren touched Bo's shoulder. "We can't rule out the possibility of a third man in our midst."

"Your safety is important, too." Bo pointed out. "Your coronation is in two weeks."

Kenzi's eyes widened. "Your _coronation_?" she whispered to Lauren.

"I've been… busy." She cleared her throat. "Besides, rumor has it you have a few things you haven't shared with me either."

Kenzi looked at her shoes. "It's too early to tell." She smiled and then shook her head. The Queen was staring at the pair impatiently. "I'll keep an eye on her." Kenzi said, clearing her throat. "She'll be safe."

Bo exchanged a worried glance with Lauren before wiping her expression clean and smiling effusively. "Very well. Don't be long." She reached for Lauren's hand and held it in hers for a long moment "Be careful," she said quietly as she walked past her to the bedroom. "I'll be in my room."

The elevator dinged and Kenzi swiftly trained her gun on the elevator door. When Verns stepped into the penthouse, she relaxed and holstered her weapon. Verns was a older man, age unspecified, but then you never could tell with Fae. Someone had told her he once had great power, but no one had seen it in years. Everyone assumed it had fallen dormant. Grizzled and grouchy, he was the most eccentric soldier to ever hold a post in the kingdom. It was no coincidence that the post he held was the one farthest from the contact of the population: the city's Eastern gates, where Dyson was now posted.

Kenzi briefed Verns who grunted in the affirmative and sipped from his extra large coffee mug before sitting on the Queen's couch. Kenzi craned her neck around the corner, rolling her eyes. "Look alive, Verns."

* * *

When the elevator opened onto the grisly scene once again, Kenzi was more ready for it this time. Lauren was not as prepared, but as Kenzi expected, her reaction was one of subdued curiosity. Lauren had only worked with Jarvis and Johns peripherally so the shock was probably not what Kenzi had felt, despite giving them their annual physicals mere weeks before their deaths.

"Give us a moment, please," Lauren directed.

Oren nodded and stepped to the far end of the dungeon, near her old cell. She paused at that, her mind flooding. So many memories wound up in such a terrible place and now this. She shook her head slightly, focusing her thoughts on the scene in front of her. "From the position of the bodies, my first impression is Johns was attacked at the cell, from behind initially." She rolled the bodies onto their backs to inspect their wounds and immediately noticed something missing. "Wait a second, Jarvis was blind as a bat. There's no way he could've done this without his glasses on. Were his glasses found?" Lauren asked, turning back to Kenzi.

Kenzi shined a light towards the darkened corner of the dungeon. "Over there."

Lauren furrowed her brow. "I suppose someone could've thrown them."

"So he's the victim?" Kenzi asked.

"Yes and no." She got to her feet. "Because Jarvis over here also has defensive wounds. "

"So they killed each other." Lauren nodded. "But why?" She looked at Lauren's serious expression.

"I need to talk to Bo." Lauren called the elevator and turned back to Kenzi. "Detain Kershaw. Get the bodies to the morgue, I'll do a further work-up after I've spoken with the Queen."

"Oren didn't do this, Lauren," Kenzi said urgently as Lauren stepped into the elevator car.

"I'm sorry, Kenzi. But I have to cover our bases." She pressed a button and the elevator doors slid shut. Lauren sighed.

* * *

Her mind raced. It couldn't be and if it was, this was all her fault. She had thought they could contain them, make them embrace humanity, reform. So reform would be a bit much to ask for at this stage, but Lauren certainly wasn't anticipating a bloody escape. Especially so soon after she had shown them kindness. The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Lauren stared down the barrel of a gun.

"Stand down, Verns," the Queen ordered and he holstered his weapon. Lauren exited the car and was immediately besieged by Bo. "You've been downstairs?" she asked, leading her to the sofa. "What happened?"

Lauren nodded, crossing her arms. "Jarvis and Johns appear to have killed one another with their issued combat knives."

"Why would they do that?" Bo asked as she sat in front of the coffee set on the table in front of her. She poured Lauren a cup.

Lauren swallowed, unsure she wanted to sit down. "There is a possibility that my serum was not permanent."

The Queen grew rigid, her gaze frozen on the carafe halfway back to the tray. "Vex?" Lauren nodded and looked away. "How did this happen?"

"It's hard to say what went wrong," she said. "It's science, there are variables." She shrugged, still not meeting the Queen's eyes. "Maybe I didn't get the dose right."

The teaspoons rattled as the carafe finally made it back to the table. "I _trusted_ you with this, Lauren."

Lauren straightened at her tone and lifted her eyes to meet Bo's. "And I did my best," she said emphatically, crossing her arms. "Who was I going to test it on? You?" She sighed and turned toward the floor to ceiling windows. "It's not like there was a line-up around the castle of people wanting to give up their Fae." Staring out at the city below, still in partial ruin, she felt the cost of the war weighing on her once again. "Back to the drawing board." She nodded more for her own sake than for Bo's.

"I'm relieved to hear you say that."

"It's my mess, I'll clean it up." Lauren strode back to the elevator and pushed at the button. She sighed again and turned toward Bo again. "We haven't heard the last of them, have we?"

"You have no idea."


	2. Chapter 2

"It's one thing to fall in love. It's another to feel someone else fall in love with you, and to feel a responsibility toward that love."––David Levithan

* * *

Lauren stared at a slide in her microscope and sighed. No change. She was losing the battle and it hadn't even started yet. Lauren dosed another slide and slid it under the microscope. A moment later, her eyes tore away from the eyepiece with a _'tsk'_ and she removed the slide to the garbage.

She was failing. Failing Bo, failing herself. Lauren pinched the bridge of her nose and rubbed her face. She was alone in the darkened lab, a few switches left on when the last technician left, his goodbyes falling on deaf ears. Lauren checked her watch. It was late, she was tired and the hum of the fluorescent lights was starting to put her to sleep. She washed her slides and wiped down the bench before shutting off the lights, locking down the lab and heading for the elevator. She rounded the corner in the hall and came face to face with Kenzi.

"Shit!" Kenzi exclaimed.

"Kenzi, what the hell?" Lauren asked, taking a step backwards, a hand on her chest.

"Doc," Kenzi breathed. "Thank god you're all right."

"What is it?" Lauren asked, grabbing Kenzi's arm with a solid grip. "Is Bo okay?"

Kenzi nodded. "She's fine. It's Vex and Evony, they've made another mess. C'mon, let's get you upstairs. I'll tell you on the way."

The Queen's elevator came swiftly and they both exhaled when they boarded the car without incident. There were three more dead at the hands of Vex and Evony and once again they were nowhere to be found. Getting back to the scene was the first thing on her mind, but Kenzi grabbed her hand when she reached for the panel of buttons. "The Queen wants to see you, Lauren."

There was a second when Lauren stared at Kenzi, shocked first by the insubordination, but the problem was slowly becoming apparent: Bo would always be the Queen and Lauren, the Human, always at her beck and call. Lauren nodded. "Of course."

When the elevator doors opened, Kenzi entered the penthouse first, holding up a hand until she found it safe for Lauren to follow. Standing in the middle of the living room was Bo, eyes full of concern, posture telegraphing her worry. "Out," she said to the group of guards when she set her eyes upon Lauren. "I was worried sick."

Bo stopped and looked her over, her hands squeezing her shoulders. "I'm sorry, I didn't know." Lauren's hand took hold of Bo's arm. "Kenzi only just told me what happened."

"You have to start taking an escort."

"You can't keep me safe forever, Bo."

"Maybe not, but I have to try." She caressed Lauren's cheek. "Come now, let's retire. You look exhausted."

Lauren closed her eyes, wanting nothing more than to disappear into Bo's arms. "I have to go look at the scene."

"It can wait till the morning."

"With all due respect, we can't keep the public out of the scene for that long. Besides, those bodies need to be refrigerated or the whole East wing is going to reek."

Bo sighed, her arms dropping to her sides. "Fine, but I'm coming with you."

Lauren shook her head. "Absolutely not. We can't risk being in the same place at the same time. Vex is just waiting for that kind of opportunity."

"I am more than capable of taking care of myself," Bo said defensively.

"I know you are, but humor me. I'll be back in no time. I just have to get a sense of what happened."

Bo captured her hand as she turned to go and pulled her into a fierce hug. "Please be careful," Bo whispered in her ear.

Lauren nodded as she pulled away and returned to Kenzi's side by the elevator. "Take me to the scene." She turned around and Verns nodded at her from his spot in the dining room. "Keep her safe," she directed before boarding the elevator car with Kenzi.

The East wing was in the old part of the castle, its pitted stone walls and floors paid tribute to its endless history. There had no doubt been many deaths there, but none quite as gruesome as one man with a fork sticking out of his chest, another with a beer bottle through his eye socket and the last, well, the last man had cut the most tender piece of himself off and had begun to eat it before vomiting over the rest of the scene and bleeding out.

"Wow," Lauren said. It was the only word that seemed appropriate.

"You ain't whistling Dixie, Doc."

"This is definitely Vex's handy work." She paced slowly. "But where's Evony in all this?"

"The brains of the operation?" Kenzi said, checking under the tables.

Lauren shook her head, confused. "This is small time, something big is on the way."

"Can we clear the bodies, Doc?" Kenzi asked.

She sighed, staring at each body and its haphazard placement. Why would they murder innocent soldiers instead of escaping the compound? "Send them to the morgue." Her eyes finally rested on Kenzi. "I'll examine them in the morning."

"You got it." Kenzi looked over her shoulder at the men guarding the scene. "Wait here," she said.

Lauren's eyes roamed the room, searching for where Vex might've stood as he conducted his cruel orchestra. Her eyes combed the rows of tables in the commissary for something out of the ordinary. She stopped on what could only be Vex's dusty footprints on three of the nine tables. He had danced as he killed those men. But where had he come from. She explored the room but could see no entry point nor a trail to or from the tables. She looked up. A fine chandelier hung above the tables and the smooth ceiling above it showed no gaps. She was stumped.

She turned and nearly ran into Kenzi. "You ready, Doc?"

Lauren nodded. "Let's go."

It was late and conversation didn't come easy for them tonight. Lauren had a lot on her plate and Kenzi didn't want to compound the problem with tales of her new relationship, so they walked in silence at a brisk pace and rode the elevator in quiet contemplation.

When they were a few floors away, Lauren cleared her throat. "Please apologize to Corporal Kershaw when you release him." The elevator doors opened and Lauren smiled at Kenzi. "I'm sorry."

Verns was where they had left him and Bo was sequestered away in another room. Kenzi sat down at the table next to Verns. "See you in the morning, Doc," she said as Lauren walked to their bedroom.

* * *

When the door cracked open, Bo shot forward in bed, prepared for the worst. "It's just me," Lauren said and she could see Bo relax.

"Did you get any answers?"

She shook her head. "Just more questions." Lauren began unbuttoning her shirt and Bo watched her with interest. Shrugging the button-down off, she unfastened her pants and slid them off her hips and down her legs. Bo began to drum her fingers, as if waiting for the finale. She discarded her underwear and climbed into bed with Bo.

Lauren sighed. "I am glad to be home." She laid her head on Bo's shoulder.

"How bad was it?" Bo asked, combing her fingers through Lauren's blonde hair.

"Bad enough." She inhaled against Bo's chest. "Three more dead. Definitely at the hands of Vex."

Bo hummed in disapproval. "He's teasing us," she said.

"But to what end?" Her hand snaked across Bo's waist and Bo's arm hooked around her shoulder, squeezing it softly.

"What of Evony?"

Lauren yawned. "Nothing."

"He's the distraction, you know. She's the real threat."

"I hate waiting for the other shoe to drop," Lauren groused.

"And my patience for Vex's shenanigans wore out when we were in the Outlands."

Lauren yawned again. "I'll know more in the morning when I can look at the bodies more closely." She closed her eyes, her breath long and even.

"Lauren?" Bo asked into the dark.

"Hmm?" She replied, sleep starting to take hold.

"Are you happy here?" Bo sagged when the silence stretched on before her soft snoozing sounds could be heard. She stared at the ceiling, pulling Lauren closer, protectively. Destiny never said it would be this hard.

* * *

Kenzi roused from the cot behind the sofa. The guards slept in shifts and she looked across the living room to see Lauren emerge from the bedroom, closing the door gently. It was rare that she would be up and on the go before the Queen. As a rule, succubus didn't require much sleep, but they were still catching up from their time in the Outlands. Besides, the longer she slept the less she'd worry about Lauren.

The doctor marched through the living room, waving a hand to Kenzi who followed eagerly.

"What's up?" She asked, pulling on her combat jacket.

Lauren pushed the elevator button and looked over her shoulder. "The Queen wants me to have an escort whenever I leave the penthouse. You're it."

"Where are we going?" she asked, watching Lauren walk in ahead of her.

A single button push and then a few insistent ones to prod the door closed. "East wing and then to the morgue for autopsies."

Kenzi groaned. "You mean I have to watch you cut people open all day?"

"Looks like you've won the lottery."

"I was hoping more for a cash settlement." Lauren smirked and looked up at the numbers, each one lighting up as they passed. "What crawled in your craw today?"

Lauren sighed and closed her eyes. "Vex is teasing us and I have to get to the bottom of this. It's my fault."

"Still beating yourself up about the serum, huh?"

"The situation doesn't seem to be improving so it's hard not to." When the elevator doors opened onto the main atrium, Lauren made a beeline to the stairs to the commissary. Kenzi had to jog to catch up.

"You tried something revolutionary and it didn't work," she said "You have to see the victory in that."

The doctor stopped at the top of the stairs and turned to her cohort. "It's just-how am I supposed to be crowned Queen Consort when I can't even fix this?"

Kenzi stopped short. "Okay, that's a whole 'nother can of worms, Doc."

"Not helping, Kenzi."

"Does Bo know how you feel about this?"

Lauren laughed. "Are you kidding me? Bo is hanging by a thread right now, last thing I need is for her to think I don't love her."

Kenzi put a hand on her hip. "Well do you?"

"Of course, what kind of question is that?"

"One that you should be asking yourself if you can't even talk to her."

Lauren's mouth fell open momentarily. "I don't think I want your advice anymore." She started down the stairs and Kenzi followed doggedly behind her.

"Lauren… Come on, you know what I meant."

"I heard your message loud and clear, Soldier."

"Don't do that." She put a hand on her arm and stopped her at the bottom of the stairs. "Look, all I meant was that maybe you should be airing these feelings with Bo instead of me."

Lauren nodded. "Of course, you're right, it just feels like there's a disconnect between us right now. I let her down…"

"Bullshit. Humans make mistakes and science isn't always absolute, what are you gonna do?" Kenzi shrugged and Lauren smiled. She was right, of course, Lauren had let her guilt override a solid assessment of the situation.

"Thanks, Kenz." Lauren took a deep breath and pushed through the doors to the Commissary, bustling with its morning coffee and donut set. She watched the patterns of people imprinting on the large room and tried to make sense of how Vex could appear and terrorize one group of people but leave the others to run off screaming. Her eyes scanned the room. There was no fire in the fireplace, but being late spring, that wasn't that unusual. The windows were all sealed shut and unless there was a dummy stone, all the stones in the floor seemed solid.

Kenzi looped around the room, checking the perimeter and the troops' morale before stopping at Lauren's side. "Looks clear in here," she said. "No one seems overly concerned."

Lauren sighed and shook her head. "Let's get to the morgue."

* * *

In the hours since her foray back to the East wing, Lauren had waded through two autopsies. Neither victim was particularly remarkable beyond the circumstances surrounding their deaths. There was no question they were murdered. There really wasn't much question in the perpetrator either. Kenzi stood by the door, guarding the entrance. She stood on her toes and craned her neck up at the air duct. She grimaced.

"Tell me you aren't used to this smell." Lauren smirked and set the scalpel down on the metal tray beside her and snapped off her gloves. She turned, dropping the used gloves into the trash and lifting a small bottle from the shelf. She tossed it to Kenzi who caught it solidly and read the label. "Menthol?"

"Dab a little between your lip and your nose. It covers the smell."

Kenzi stuck her finger in the bottle. "Thanks for sharing this with me four hours ago."

Lauren smirked. "We're even."

The soldier inhaled deeply, sighing in relief. "So what now?"

Lauren wheeled victim number two back into the cold room and returned with the victim number three. "Two down, one to go." She smiled, pulling on a new pair of gloves.

Kenzi made a noise and turned her back when Lauren wielded the scalpel again. "How can you be so happy when you're weighing entrails?"

She shrugged, pulling the blade through the victim's skin. "Death is a fascinating process."

"If you say so, Doc."

"So tell me about Mr. Right." Lauren spread the victim's ribcage and Kenzi grimaced at the sound.

"What do you want to know?" Kenzi looked out door and down the hall.

Lauren juggled the man's heart in her hands. "What a way to go…"

"Vex does have a flair for the dramatic."

That he did. She wasn't a stranger to his powers and she never had any luck researching a counter to Vex's mesmer. An ancient talisman was said to absorb the power of the Mesmer, keeping it as a charge, but no one had seen nor heard of it in centuries. In fact, it had been so long, it had become myth. She began to close the Y-incision. "Does he treat you good?"

Kenzi pushed herself off the wall and walked towards Lauren. "Yeah, he's sweet and smart. He keeps me on my toes."

Lauren covered the body with a clean sheet. "Believe me when I say there's nobody that's happier for you, Kenz." She removed her gloves and deposited them in the trash before pushing the gurney into the cold room. When she returned Kenzi was looking at her expectantly. "Just give me a minute to clean up, Kenz and we can head back to the tower."

"Whatever you say, Doc."

There was a boom in the hallway that made both women jump just as the lab doors flew open. "Well, hello, lovies!" Vex stood in front of the women, who glanced between each other. Kenzi lifted her weapon and pointed it at the Mesmer. "Ah, ah, ah," he said using his powers to direct the pistol against her head.

"Kenzi!" Lauren shouted as she lifted the scalpel from the tray and barreled towards Vex.

"Doctor!" He giggled. "Settle down." He lowered his hand and she was frozen in place. "Now," he started. "Dr. Lewis, how have you been?"

* * *

END PART TWO


	3. Chapter 3

"Enemies, as well as lovers, come to resemble each other over a period of time."-Sydney J. Harris

* * *

"Now," Vex started, both humans under the grip of his mesmer. Kenzi held her service weapon to her own head, silent while she watched the delight on Vex's face as he held his arm out toward Lauren. "Dr. Lewis, how have you been?"

"Fuck off."

"Hoo, hoo, hoo! Past your bedtime?"

Lauren grunted, resisting against a power that was inescapable. "Just tired of cleaning up your messes, Vex."

Vex pouted. "Poor little Human, overworked and undervalued. Kind of like your father, eh Blondie?"

Her eyes burned with an untapped rage. If she could've moved she'd have been choking the life out of him, but instead she stayed frozen in place, festering. "I'll kill you," she snarled.

He laughed. "How 'bout I kill _you_?" He flicked his wrist and she lifted the scalpel to her own throat. "One false move and it's curtains for you, babe." Kenzi's eyes were wide as she pulled back the hammer on her gun, Vex manipulating her as well.

"Leave her alone, Vex," Lauren ordered.

Vex sauntered up to Lauren's side, pressing against her and whispered: "If you haven't noticed, you're in no shape to tell me what to do." He shuffled to the left. "A little birdy told me you're going to be crowned Queen Consort, is that true?" Lauren looked away. "Tell Uncle Vexy."

"I'm not telling you anything," she said through clenched teeth.

"You sure about that?" When Lauren didn't reply Vex focused his attention on Kenzi again. Her hand began to shake, trigger finger unsteady.

"Kenzi…" The fear in her eyes sent a chill through Lauren. She looked at Vex. "Yes, it's true. Now, let her go."

Vex walked to where Kenzi stood, still frozen in place, her own gun to her head, finger curled around the trigger. He removed the gun from her hand and returned to Lauren. He reset the hammer before turning the pistol over in his hand, releasing the hold he had on Kenzi. She put her hands up but remained glued in place.

"Go on, Human, go alert the cavalry." He waved his arm and she paused, looking at Lauren.

Lauren tried to move. "Go, Kenzi."

"I'm not leaving."

"Kenzi, I can handle this. Go!"

"Well, isn't this sweet." He paced in front of her. "Nobody's going anywhere. You missed your window, love." He watched Lauren pull against his hold and he smirked. "You seem anxious, Doctor," he said. "Does healing the sick relax you? Maybe this sorry excuse for a soldier could use your expertise." Vex stopped in front of her, a breath away. "Maybe I'll let you gut her, Dr. Lewis. Your brother thought he could fight me off, too, and we know how that turned out."

Lauren was a human torch, brimstone and fire coursed through her veins. She would destroy him, of that she was certain. The more helpless he made her feel, the angrier she became. She flexed her hands. "Enough, Vex!"

"Ooh, you're a strong little Human, aren't you?" Kenzi inched forward. Her gun was two feet away on the table in front of Vex. "No funny business," he teased, and flung her against the wall. Sputtering, Kenzi righted herself, scrambling to her feet again. "That was fun, wasn't it?" He giggled. "Now, Doctor, what am I going to do with you?"

"I wish you'd figure it out because I'm getting bored."

"You're right," he said, leading her to the wall next to Kenzi. He spun them around to face the rough stone, Lauren's hand still holding the scalpel against her own throat. She heard the click of the gun and closed her eyes. She thought of Bo and wished that she had kissed her goodbye this morning instead of sneaking off to be killed. If this was how it was going to end, Lauren realized she wasn't ready. She thought the last time they were in a death denying situation that she was ready, now she saw how wrong she was. "Any last words?"

"See you in hell," Lauren said to the wall in front of them. Her arm went slack and she dropped the scalpel. She turned around slowly to find Vex gone.

Kenzi turned quickly after and looked at her wide-eyed. "You're bleeding, Doc." Kenzi pointed at her neck.

She touched her neck and felt her fingers slide through the blood. "So much for not telling Bo."

"Seriously?"

Lauren pulled some gauze from a drawer under the counter and held it against her throat. "What now?" She handed Kenzi a antiseptic pad and motioned to her forehead.

Kenzi held it to the cut there and hissed, glaring at Lauren's smirk. "Honesty isn't your strong suit, is it?"

The smile faded as she cleaned the cut on her neck and examined it in a small mirror. "I'm no liar."

"Maybe not outwardly." Kenzi looked up at Lauren when she showed her the band aid. "But you are a master of lying by omission."

Lauren sighed as she pulled the paper backing from the bandage and pressed it gently to Kenzi's forehead. "Kenzi, she's not going to take this in stride."

"So what?" Kenzi took the larger bandage from the doctor and motioned for her to tilt her head back. "She's allowed to worry, Lauren."

Lauren held her hair back while Kenzi dressed the wound. "You're right. I know that you're right but-"

"She's a big girl, Doc. Let her work it out."

They walked to the elevators in an uneasy silence. Neither expected another ambush, but the possibility was always there. Lauren called the elevator and sighed. Stewing in Kenzi's words, the silence continued for the swift ride to the top. When the doors opened, Kenzi held up a hand to Lauren who ignored her and charged past the soldier without a weapon. "Where is she?" Lauren asked Verns who peered over his newspaper at Lauren before hooking a thumb in the direction of the sunroom. Leaning against the table, Kenzi watched the doctor stalk down the hall and disappear through the glass paneled door.

Bo set her tea aside as soon as the door opened and stood. "You're hurt. Are you okay?" She inspected Lauren's wound.

She touched her neck again and took Bo's hand in her own. "I'm fine. It's Vex, he surprised us in the morgue."

"Vex?" Bo stopped and looked at her seriously. "How did you get free?"

Lauren shrugged. "He let us go, I can't explain it. He had us dead to rights and then he was gone."

Bo began to pace. "You mustn't go out anymore. It's too dangerous."

"I was afraid you might say that," Lauren replied with a sigh.

The Queen scoffed. "You're not going to fight me on this, I hope."

"I have to be free if I'm going to live here, Bo." Lauren looked out over the city and the setting sun on the horizon. "You can't keep me from the rest of the world."

"This isn't just about you anymore, Lauren," Bo told her. "This is about the kingdom. _Our_ kingdom. This is hardly a situation that can allow for reckless liberty."

"Because you're afraid of losing me?"

"Because I'm afraid that you could _die_, Lauren."

Lauren turned to face the Queen. "That's a chance I take every day when I wake up in the morning, Bo. I'm Human, we aren't built for forever."

Bo embraced her, clutching Lauren tight against her body. "Please don't say those things," she whispered against her hair. It was like she hadn't thought of it before then; a wound so fresh it stung still. She held Lauren against her and when they parted, the unsinkable succubus was teary eyed and sullen. "Don't fight me on this, Lauren."

"You can't keep me from him, Bo," Lauren said softly. "As you and I are destined, so are Vex and myself. He killed my family and I will repay the favor."

"Revenge is an empty victory," Bo whispered.

"I'll let you know." Lauren turned to leave but paused as Bo shrunk away, sinking back against the sofa. "Bo…" She sat beside her but Bo didn't move to receive her. "I didn't mean to upset you." She placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's just something we've needed to talk about for awhile now."

"I've been so busy trying to protect you because life makes sense with you in it." Her thumb caressed Lauren's cheek. "And I'm terrified what it will be like when you go because what my life amounted to without you was all just wasted time."

Lauren shook her head. "You may have been biding your time, but every journey you took, every battle you fought in, every woman you loved brought you to me. I may not know the pain of living an extended life, Bo, but I know our love was worth the wait."

Bo smiled and shook her head, her hand falling to Lauren's lap. "You are wise beyond your years, Doctor."

* * *

Shift change was an hour ago, leaving Lauren in the thick of it with Bo. She almost felt bad for her but it was time for Lauren to be honest with the Queen. Kenzi stared down at her combat boots and khaki fatigue and thought about her strange tandem journey with Lauren to this place where she never thought they'd be welcome.

And now there was Oren. She was still merely scratching the surface with him, but with each passing day she found herself awakening to his affections. Tonight, a twilight picnic awaited him when he finished his shift. They had made the plans a couple days ago and Kenzi actually thought about cancelling after Vex. But now she couldn't think of anyone else she wanted to see more. She had laid a blanket on the front lawn, beneath the stars and from a satchel she produced a pair of sandwiches and a couple of bottles of beer. It was the seminal meal for soldiers avoiding tuna melt Tuesday and Kenzi clambered to her feet as he approached, a broad smile beckoning her to him.

Kenzi wasn't the relationship kind, at least that's what she told herself. But Oren was a good man and he liked her, more importantly she liked him and that was probably the best compliment she could offer.

"Hey," he said kissing her on the cheek. Kenzi took his hand and led him to the blanket. Sitting across from one another they toasted to the coming Solstice and cold beers and laughed about a day's work with Verns and Mitchell. It was free and easy banter like soldiers do, but Kenzi felt her reserves starting the crumble when it turned into something else. "Thanks for doing this," he said, leaning in to kiss her. She put a hand on his chest but did not stop his advance, instead, leaning into him.

One kiss turned to two, and then four turned to five and before she knew it, Kenzi couldn't count anymore. She rolled on top of him withdrew from his lips slowly. They had come close to consummating their relationship once before but something had spooked Oren and he ran out of her room with his shirt and jacket in his arms. Now, she felt him against her insistently and she knew this was their moment. She reached for his belt buckle.

"We've got plenty of time," he whispered, his hand stilling hers.

He was, of course, right. They were on the front lawn and though it was late and unlikely they'd meet a passerby, a guard would be by to do their rounds shortly. The thing was, Kenzi didn't care much for rules so she stood abruptly, taking Oren by the hand and leading him to her bunk. With his chiseled body beneath her fingers, he touched her delicately and brought about pleasure that she hadn't felt in a number of years. The war was a cold and unyielding place and love was an unexpected treasure. There was so much talk about destiny between Bo and Lauren that Kenzi couldn't help but to feel entangled. And now, because she had stayed with Lauren, she met Oren.

When they were spent, she lay in his arms, her head on his chest. She was positive she had made the right decision to take this next step but something niggled at the back of her brain. Something that said "Alert! Evacuate! Retreat!" She'd wait for him to fall asleep before slipping out into the castle and going for a walk.

* * *

Lauren dropped her robe near the end of the bed. Her shower had been extra hot and the pressure was punishing, hoping to clean her mind as well as her body of the ambush in the lab. In the twelve seconds Bo's eyes lingered on her body, she had time to prepare. A quiet storm was brewing and she steeled herself against the coming onslaught.

_Three…two…one._

Blue lightning flashed in Bo's eyes. Lauren gasped as Bo's hands were on her quickly, reaching out and lifting her off the carpet. The joy this brought about in Lauren was unparalleled. She let her head fall back, grinning, as her blonde curls cascaded down her back and Bo descended upon her throat. Lauren brought a hand to her cheek, caressing Bo's face and she slowed the Queen's frenzy to a flurry, not really making much difference but finding that connection she craved.

She set Lauren onto the unmade bed and stood back appraising her beauty. Bo shook her head. "How are you even real?" It was a rhetorical question, but Bo paused as if she wanted to share her secret just the same. With Bo caught in her visage, Lauren was on her knees and crawling across the bed, pulling the Queen towards her by the collar of her shirt. Her hands tore at the top, yanking it over Bo's head before wrenching her bra open and kissing her hard.

Bo held her face as they kissed and loomed closer, pushing Lauren onto her back and climbing over her. Lauren sighed as Bo lavished kisses on her chest, following her collar bones across the flawless skin to her breasts. Lauren held Bo against her, overwhelmed. Any war-torn encounter paled in comparison to what she felt with Bo. She never let herself feel those things with anyone else, and so the first time they made love Lauren almost lost herself for good.

But Bo was not Lauren's first Fae. There was a smuggler named Violette, who supplied her with the contraband needed to continue her research. A traitor to the state, Vi knew a thing or two about human physiology and so their relationship was brief, but intense. There was nothing spoken between them, often just a knowing glance before Violette would pin her to the wall and fuck her standing up, mouth agape, eyes squeezed shut. It was never tender, never like this.

Bo wiggled her hips and slipped her pants down her legs, kicking them onto the floor moments later. It was always an unreal experience when Bo covered her with her body. Bo's temperature always ran high when they were together and tonight it was no different. As she settled between her legs, Lauren thought back to Violette on top of her in the back seat of a dusty sedan, fingers in her mouth, swearing in French against her ear and even still the memory paled in comparison to the reality of Bo who held one of Lauren's legs against her as she worked her hips. Lauren gasped as Bo grunted, sliding against her. The Queen's expression was pained, impatient for release. Her breath caught in the back of her throat as she whispered Lauren's name.

She pushed on Bo's shoulder, upending her. She landed on the mattress with a whoosh and it was Lauren's turn to loom over her. She nestled Bo's breast, her hand traveling the length of her chest, across her mid-section, over her navel to its destination between Bo's legs. Her eyes squeezed shut at the contact and she bit her lip. This was her favorite Bo. Was there anything better than watching a Fae in their own element? A succubus awash in pleasure, determined to deal as much bliss as she's received, Bo's eyes glowed.

When Lauren sunk into her, she stiffened, clutching at her back. "Shit," she gasped. Lauren settled on Bo's thigh, grinding against her as her fingers kept a steady rhythm between Bo's legs. With her other hand, Lauren found Bo's center and drew lazy circles against it. The Queen gripped her hips, holding Lauren against her thigh as she trembled with the effort of Lauren's machinations. Without skipping a beat, she quickened her pace, pressing deeper still. Her hips were wild against the pressure, jumping irregularly as her fingers rubbed against her. Thrusting harder, Bo's hips lifted from the bed as Lauren's ground down against her thigh with a bruising pressure. She gulped a mouthful of air before the dominoes began to fall. A gasp as release began to build in her hands, her hips gyrating against her, eyes open wide to Bo's oncoming liberation. Her fingers flexed against Lauren's side again and her mouth opened. When she moaned Lauren's name she took a clumsy grasp on her own release, arching backwards as she came.

Lauren leaned over Bo, her breath hot against her throat. When their breathing came easier, Lauren kissed her shoulder and rolled onto her back. "Wow," she said.

"Where did you go?" Bo asked.

"Hmm?" Lauren asked, knowing full well what Bo meant.

The Queen turned her head to look at the doctor. "I don't know where you went, but you weren't here with me."

The reminisce hadn't escaped Bo and Lauren damned herself for losing her edge. "It's nothing." She smiled reassuringly and laid flat on her back. But Bo was like a dog with a bone. She was silent, her eyes doing the talking as Lauren tried to navigate the quagmire she suddenly found herself in. She sighed. "Her name was Violette."

Bo raised her eyebrows. "Feeling nostalgic?"

"It's not like that," Lauren shook her head. "She was nothing like you. She was… unprincipled, often vulgar, always crass, undependable, irresponsible. Shall I go on?"

"But you gave her your body."

"It was a different time, Bo." Lauren turned onto her side and propped her head up on her hand, her other hand smoothing over the plane of Bo's stomach.

"Did she make you feel something during the war?"

"She wanted me and I wanted her. That's all." Bo stared at the ceiling and covered the hand Lauren had laid on her. "It changes nothing."

"You were thinking about her while I was making love to you, I'd say that changes a lot."

"Jesus, Bo, I wasn't plotting to run away with her, what I have with you is so much more than what I had with Violette."

Bo threaded her fingers with Lauren's and held her hand against her belly. "I'm sorry," she said, still staring at the ceiling. "You're allowed to have a past." She shook her head. "I'm just not used to sharing."

"Nobody's asking you to share anything," Lauren tipped Bo's chin down, capturing her gaze at last. "It's in the past."

* * *

Lauren had disappeared to the lab right after breakfast. Despite having two powerful and extremely vengeful Fae wandering their corridors, she still had to figure out how the serum went wrong, how to make it last, and she had to do it quickly. Bo had demanded an entourage of four to follow Lauren around since her run in with Vex and it took the doctor some time to relax while she researched with an audience.

She was staring into her microscope when the first case came in: acute food poisoning had been the diagnosis. Lauren was thankful for the distraction, but suspicious of the cause. It was routine, caring for a case like this. What wasn't routine was its effect. The first soldier was dead within the hour and soon her clinic was full of patients with the same ailment.

"What the hell is going on down at the Commissary?" Lauren shouted as she performed chest compressions on another losing battle.

"This batch is from the Mess hall," her assistant said. Her staff scrambled, working in pairs to triage the patients that were worse off.

"Well someone get up there and shut it down!" she shouted at her crew of assistants. They were running out of beds and the soldiers kept pouring in. This couldn't have been accidental. She was charging the defibrillator paddles. "Clear!" She yelled as she touched the paddles to the soldier's chest. She was rewarded with a heartbeat for the moment. She passed him off to another doctor and grabbed the phone from the wall.

"Bo," Lauren paused, catching her breath. "We've got a situation down here. Someone has poisoned the infantry." She nodded as she saw two more roll through the doors, listening to Bo speak through the receiver. She closed her eyes. "Seventeen," she said grimly. She hung up the phone and walked through the clinic doors, bodies were strewn down the hall, stretching on for as far as she could see, there was sick on the floor. They were outmatched and undermanned. There was no way they were going to have a winning record with this outbreak. They had already lost nearly a quarter of their infantry and the ones they did save would be down for the count for days. The castle was defenseless.

* * *

END PART THREE


	4. Chapter 4

"When we fight upstream against a rocky undercurrent, every foothold takes on a kind of urgency."― Arthur Golden

* * *

It had been three days since all hell broke loose. Three days of saving lives and looking over her shoulder. With more than thirty dead and a full infirmary, Lauren was exhausted. She had been pulling twelve and sixteen hour days since it happened and tonight was no different. It was late and she was preparing to return to Bo's waiting arms, but not before one more round. Lauren sighed. She splashed water on her face and looked at her weary expression in the mirror. What she wouldn't give for a full night's sleep.

"Aw, what's the matter, sweetie?" The echo of her voice against the bathroom tile made Lauren jump. "Didn't you like my cooking?"

Lauren looked at the reflection in the mirror before turning slowly to find the Fae standing in a stall doorway, arm stretching up the frame. "Evony."

She shrugged. "What can I say, I'm not a fan of the tuna melt."

"All those people that you killed and for what?" Her words were tougher than Lauren felt. Evony was dangerous even without Vex and Lauren was feeling particularly vulnerable, alone with the enemy.

"Who's to say?" she pushed herself away from the stall. "Though I must commend you on your damage control."

Lauren shook her head. "What are you talking about?

"I've been watching you, Doctor."

Goosebumps decorated her skin. "How…?" She asked, alarmed.

"A girl's got to have a few secrets." She smiled. "I can't give you all the answers, where's the fun in that?"

Lauren turned back to the sink and grabbed a paper towel. "Killing people shouldn't be fun."

"Ooh, preachy! How delightful!" She laughed, her hands clasped together. "If it isn't fun, you're doing it wrong, honey."

"Why are you here, Evony?" Lauren said, exasperated. She didn't have the patience for this game so late at night. "There are innocent people out there that are on death's door because you were bored. I have more important things to do than listen to your taunting."

Evony stepped up close behind her. "I came to warn you," she said menacingly. "I'm not completely without feelings."

Lauren paused and looked at Evony in the mirror. "Warn me about what?"

Evony tsked at her reflection and shook her head. "Now, that… that I can't tell you. It would ruin the surprise!"

Lauren lifted her chin. "If you're going to hurt me, do it now."

"Don't we think a lot of ourselves!" Evony chuckled. "Vex may be hung up on you, Honey, but honestly, you and your royal succubus bore the hell out of me."

"Then what do you want?"

"Everything," she purred.

Lauren swallowed carefully and blinked away the panic in her eyes. "I don't have time for this," she said, tossing the paper towel in the garbage.

The curl to Evony's lips was enough to make anyone uneasy. She looked at herself in the mirror as Lauren rushed to the door. "See you soon, sweetie."

Lauren paused for only a second while the words registered and then slipped out the door. Her heart pounded in her chest and she walked quickly to nurse's station where Kenzi was waiting for her. Kenzi and Oren turned as she approached.

"What's wrong?" Kenzi asked, knowing Lauren's uneasiness better than anyone.

"Evony," she replied, pointing her thumb toward the bathrooms.

Kenzi glanced at Oren before she pulled the sidearm from her hip and took off to ladies' room. It didn't take her a two minutes to sweep the area and return to their side. She shook her head. "No sign."

Lauren let out a breath. "I need to find the source of this outbreak."

"If I had to guess, I'd say tuna melt Tuesday went horribly awry."

"But it's food poisoning, people shouldn't be dying this quickly."

Kenzi frowned. "If only Vex and Evony would stick around instead of disappearing into thin air, maybe we could ask them."

"Who's with Bo?" Lauren said suddenly.

"Verns," Kenzi replied.

Lauren sighed and walked to the first bedside in the room. "Not sure I see the wisdom of leaving the oldest and slowest guard to protect the Queen," she grumbled.

"Verns is spry for an old guy," Oren offered. "Besides, he's been with her-"

Kenzi pulled him back and stared at him pointedly. "-All night, you know? Who knows if the old guy hasn't passed out in a deck of cards." She patted Oren's shoulder. "I'll check on her myself."

"Thank you," Lauren said, turning back to her patient.

When Kenzi nodded at him and turned to leave, his hand found her forearm. "What the hell was that?"

Kenzi waited until they were out of earshot before she stopped in the hall. "Doctor Lewis is not in a place to be questioned."

"That's not fair," Oren complained. "Verns is a good guy, so what if he's a little jaded?"

"Oren, he made a three course meal- all spaghetti- while he was on detail and ate it on the royal china from the 17th century." Kenzi started walking again. "He's lucky Lauren came home, I didn't know how else to keep Bo away from him."

Oren swallowed and worked hard to hide the smirk on his face as he followed her. "So where'd you go the other night?" he asked quietly.

"I, uh… needed some air."

"Because of what happened between us?" They turned a corner and he skipped to keep up.

"Maybe."

"Was it something I did?" Oren asked.

As much as Kenzi wanted to say _'it's not you, it's me,'_ she couldn't pretend that it kind of was Oren. He was so gentle with her, it made her feel feeble. She didn't want to be someone's girlfriend, she just wanted the trappings of a relationship with an equal.

"No." She shook her head, stopping in front of the elevators. "I'm just going through some stuff. Listen, I'm really sorry but I have to check on the Queen." She pressed the call button.

"Don't worry about it," he said with a nod, feigning acceptance. "We can talk when I get back."

The elevator door slid open and Kenzi took a step forward until the words sunk in and she paused. "Where are you going?" Her shock was tangible.

"To recruit troops from the next colony," Oren said. "The Queen asked me this morning. I leave tonight."

"They're sending you alone?"

Oren shrugged. "Don't have much choice, if you haven't noticed we're down a few bodies."

Kenzi stood inside the elevator, holding a hand over the door. "Stay safe, Soldier," she said.

"Yes, Ma'am," he replied. "I should get back. I'm sure Doctor Lewis needs a hand." He nodded at her before he disappeared around the corner to the clinic. "Bye Kenzi."

* * *

When Lauren returned after fifteen hours in the lab and infirmary, she was filthy and exhausted. Bo ran her a bath and threatened to burn her clothes but she was only partially kidding. She had the clothing removed and sat carefully in an upholstered Victorian rosewood chair as Lauren sank into the bubbles.

"Oh my god," she said, exhaling. "I've been dreaming about this all day." She relished the tingle on her skin as the heat seeped into her skin.

"Me too," Bo said, rolling up her sleeve casually.

Lauren narrowed her eyes. "What are you up to?"

"You need to relax," Bo said, with a smirk.

"Relax," Lauren repeated with a similar smirk on her face. "I see."

Bo shifted forward in the chair. "Now, I know I'm not a doctor…" Her arm dipped into the tub, her hand coming to rest on Lauren's knee before slipping up her thigh. "But I have a feeling I know the proper course of treatment."

When her hand covered Lauren's center, she sighed. Bo blinked lazily as her fingers traced her folds. It was a luxurious treatment that Lauren hadn't expected but now that Bo was teasing her, she was certain she never wanted her to stop.

She leaned over Lauren, besieging her mouth with her own. Overwhelmed by Bo's scent, enticed by her lips, and destroyed by her touch. It was the Queen's trifecta and if Lauren were a betting woman she'd have bet it all by now. She craned her neck, arching her back, her breasts lifting out of the water as Bo's fingers continued, gentle, but insistent.

Lauren's eyes fluttered open and she watched as Bo licked her lips, concentration playing out on her face as she touched her. She was weightless in the water, floating in the depths of the claw foot bathtub, anchored only by Bo's touch. She inhaled, her heart beating faster now, her body straining as her toes begin to curl.

"Don't stop," she whispered, gripping the sides of the tub. Bo leaned forward, hovering on the edge of her seat as she drew Lauren out, circling her core. Her knees pressed against the sides of the tub as the Queen stroked her faster. Her hands came to grip the tub's edge on either side of her head and Bo bit her lip at the sight of Lauren arching out of the water. A low moan rumbled in her throat, growing louder as Bo swept over her one last time. White lights exploded behind her eyes, the breath caught in her throat, and there was only one word on her lips. "Bo," she moaned. In the blind reckoning of her orgasm, Bo kissed her again. It was a possessive melding of their mouths and Lauren was overwhelmed for a second time.

The water sloshed in the tub and Bo withdrew her arm, patting it dry with a nearby towel as Lauren slowly came back to herself. Sitting back in her chair, Bo folded her hands in her lap regally, and when Lauren opened her eyes it was the sight of her Queen that made her smile. She shook her head.

"Take your time," Bo said, squeezing her shoulder. "I'll warm up dinner." She circled the tub.

"Bo?" Lauren said, finally.

She paused with her hand on the doorknob. "Hmm?"

"Don't eat anything until I test it."

Bo smiled and bowed her head. "I wouldn't dream of it." She turned the knob and pulled the door open throwing a last look over her shoulder as she went.

Grinning, Lauren sunk deeper into the tub, the remaining bubbles popping in the silence. In all her imaginings, she never expected anything like that. It had been a horrible day, one that did not deserve to be put behind her. There were more dead than on a bad day in a war zone, over half the infantry was sick or dead. Evony had poisoned not only the food in the Commissary, but also the rations in the Mess hall and only a scant few had avoided them.

She toweled off and redressed, looking into the bathroom mirror until she couldn't say how long she had been staring at herself. Life was catching up with her, her hard life was beginning to show in the lines by her eyes and around her mouth. She blinked and turned away from it, redressing in clean clothes Bo had set out for her and leaving the bathroom to join Bo in the dining room. She took samples from their plates and disappeared into her office, emerging some time later with the good news. "All clear, let's eat," she called down the hallway. Bo stared at her over folded hands at the dining room table when she came into the room and she stopped short.

"Tell me about your day," Bo said as she poured an exceptional red wine into a pair of glasses.

"I'd rather not," Lauren sat next to Bo. "It was terrible." She unfolded a napkin into her lap and received the wine glass as it was offered it to her.

Bo enjoyed the mouthful of wine before swallowing. "I have to admit that I am jealous of you."

"Why?"

The small potatoes were pushed around on her plate before they were cut in half. "You're on the front lines, Lauren. I'm just sitting in a box, being guarded." Bo chewed the potato carefully. "Tell me, how is a pair of Humans and weaker Fae supposed to protect me. Don't you think I can protect myself?"

"Of course," Lauren said defensively. "Of course you can."

The Queen sipped her wine thoughtfully. "That settles it then. Starting tomorrow I will no longer be sequestered away from our enemies."

"Bo…"

"No," she said definitively. "I can't stay in hiding while my kingdom falls apart. I owe it to the people of our colony to be there for them, to use my eyes and my senses to help capture Vex and Evony again."

There were times when Bo held her head like she did in the portraits Lauren studied around the castle's halls that told Lauren this wasn't something that was questioned or doubted. This was a royal decree. Lauren held her gaze and nodded. "As you wish."

* * *

It came in the early hours of the morning; the idea that she could fix the serum. That she had finally pinpointed why it didn't work, and she turned it over and over in her mind so as not to lose it to the fugue state of slumber. The notion itself was simple, but the implications complex. It wasn't so much about a lack of confidence in her hypothesis than her anxiety over how to deliver it.

She was staring Bo down from across the breakfast table, the scent of coffee and pastry filling the living area. The sun lit up the city below the penthouse as it crept over the horizon and it didn't escape Lauren how strange it was to be having a civilized breakfast while the castle crumbled beneath them. Kenzi stood to the side and Verns remained by the elevator. Lauren was explaining her epiphany, when she asked the impossible of Bo.

"I used a synthetic last time and I think that is why the chain broke down." Lauren paused and took in a breath. "If I can just get an organic sample, maybe I can make a serum that's permanent."

Bo nodded and popped a piece of croissant in her mouth. "I'll put feelers out."

Lauren drew in a breath, glancing at Kenzi. "With all due respect, I think we need Violette's expertise on this one."

"Absolutely not," Bo said sharply, interjecting as soon as she heard her name.

"Bo, you asked me to fix this, you have to trust me now."

"We'll source the materials ourselves." Bo stood abruptly and, leveling her gaze upon Lauren, she turned and disappeared into the Library. When the pocket door slid shut Lauren turned to Kenzi.

"Find Violette," Lauren said in a low voice, her eyes trained on the library door.

"I don't know, Lauren. Bo seemed pretty serious..."

Lauren shook her head. "I'll worry about Bo. Right now, I need you to deliver this list to Violette." Lauren scribbled on a scrap of paper. "We need this as fast as you can get it. Do what you must do to cooperate with her."

Kenzi sighed. "You got it." She turned, grumbling. Kenzi never liked Violette. She said it was because she didn't like traitors but Lauren suspected it had something to do with the time Kenzi had caught them together and they weren't discussing tax receipts. Instead, Lauren's shirt hung inside out from her waist, her pants unbuttoned and Violette's hand shoved deep into her underwear.

It was a dark time for Lauren, Kenzi knew that, but she hated watching her go down that path just the same. It was in the past, or so she thought, though judging by the Queen's reaction, it seemed very much a current concern of hers. She knew just where to find Violette, despite having no contact with her in three years. And so, a quick stop at her bunk to gather a few essentials and she was taking a horse from the stables, charging through the colony to the Outlands once again.

* * *

Lauren had wasted another day in the lab, working and reworking her serum so that it was ready for the organic material she was still waiting to be delivered. Kenzi had been gone three days and had not sent back confirmation that she had found Violette yet.

The Commissary was still shut down as was the Mess hall but the mess of the outbreak was finally clean. A Marsh test told her it was arsenic that Evony used in addition to food poisoning, a cruel and clever combination that kept Lauren busy enough treating the wrong symptoms. It was a frustrating conclusion, so much death to make a point that still hadn't been made. Lauren sat in the Conservatory under a bright sun and blue skies. Waiting was the hardest part, but despite her feelings to the contrary, Lauren knew Violette would come through. Her eyes combed the lush fauna of the and found herself remembering the last time they were together.

Lighting a cigarette, Violette inhaled deeply, looking over Lauren's form as she exhaled. She whispered something in French and Lauren looked up, unable to make out what she had said. "Hmm?"

"I said, 'heavenly creature, you haunt me still,'" she said, her accent thick. She took another drag from her cigarette and began to button up her shirt. "Because I was never brave enough to make love to you."

Lauren's mouth went dry. If she had even once thought that Violette carried a torch for her, she probably would have ceased all contact. After all she was a scoundrel and Lauren was the leader of the Human Resistance. It was her job to be in bed with the fringe element but things with Violette had gotten out of hand and the longer the war raged on. The more lonely she became, the more often their encounters occurred and Lauren knew that Kenzi couldn't stand the self-loathing it took to bed Violette again and again. It was always the same, she'd turn up with a box full of contraband, a beer for Kenzi, a bottle of wine for Lauren and whatever else she had ordered. Money or an equitable trade would exchange hands and Kenzi would walk the perimeter while the women concluded their business. Thinking back it was rather obvious to Lauren that Vi had designs on her, why she couldn't see that back then, was just as lost on her.

A hand slapped the marble table in front of her and Lauren blinked, looking up finding a scowl on Kenzi's face. "You're back," Lauren said, unable to hide her relief. "Where's Violette?"

"She'll come in her own time. As usual." Kenzi dropped into the chair across from her.

Lauren accepted the dig. "Kenzi…"

Kenzi shook her head. "I can't believe you're letting her back into your life."

"You know she's the only one that would've been able to find what we needed."

"Pff," Kenzi scoffed. "You didn't even try, Doc."

Lauren sighed. "We don't have the luxury of time right now, Kenz."

"You should've seen her face when I told her you needed her services again." Kenzi leaned forward. "Doc, you've got bigger worries than Vex and Evony."

Her back straightened. "I can handle Violette."

"Can you?" Kenzi asked in a hushed tone. "Do I have to remind you how long it took you to say Sayonara last time?"

"Things are different now," Lauren insisted.

"That's what I'm afraid of, Doc," Kenzi said, hands to the sky. "Bo and Violette in the same room? Do you not even see the problem you face?"

"I really think you're making a bigger deal than is necessary about this," she reasoned. "We're all adults."

Kenzi shook her head again. "The most powerful Fae, a Fae crook and the Human doctor. Are you kidding me? That's how jokes start."

Lauren sighed, slumping in her chair. "So what am I supposed to do?" she asked. "Tell me, because I'm stumped."

"Guard her heart," Kenzi said. "And your home together."

Lauren smiled then, nodding as she covered Kenzi's hand fleetingly. "When did you get so smart?"

Kenzi rolled her eyes. "When you weren't looking, apparently."

* * *

END PART FOUR


	5. Chapter 5

"Fate was a reality, but it wasn't a beautiful or angelic thing. It was a heart-wrenching nightmare. And we'd fallen blindly into it. We had no escape. It was happening, and it was up to me to guarantee our survival of it. "― Shannon A. Thompson

* * *

She left Kenzi shortly after their conversation and rode the elevator to the penthouse with Elliot, a feisty young Fae from the infantry, promoted due to the illness that had swept through the guards. Elliot was silent, speaking only when spoken to and clearly taking her new post more seriously than Verns who still meandered around the Penthouse even though Bo was now coming and going as she pleased.

But Bo was home when she returned. Sitting in the sunroom, enjoying the beautiful day from the comfort of her favorite chaise lounge. She was a picture of beauty. Lauren didn't stop to appreciate her enough, but today with Kenzi's words fresh on her mind, Lauren drank her in. Her profile was so very regal, her brown eyes were bright, and her figure was beyond anything she had ever known. She was losing herself to the charm of the succubus without even saying a word.

"Why are you lingering in the doorway?" The Queen spoke finally.

"Just enjoying the view." She smiled and stepped into the room. She sat at the foot of the chaise, her eyes coming to meet Bo's somewhere in the middle.

Bo smiled into the book she was reading. "How's the outbreak?"

"Controlled. Commissary and Mess Hall went through intensive sanitation, and new rations have been brought in from neighboring colonies." Lauren tried to read the title of the book in Bo's lap. "There's something we need to discuss."

Bo swung her legs over the side of the chaise and sat next to Lauren. "Of course, what is it?"

"I sent Kenzi to find Violette. She's sourcing the materials as we speak and will be here in any number of days."

A hollow laugh escaped Bo. "I knew you couldn't resist your old life."

"Bo, you know that isn't true."

"Then why?" Bo looked at her, hurt. "Why now when we are at our most vulnerable?"

Lauren thought she was speaking of the kingdom in general when she spoke, but she was beginning to see there was a bigger obstacle at work. "Look, I don't know what's going on between us but I'm sure it's nothing we can't fix together."

Bo sat forward, snatching Lauren's hands up into her own. "I love you, Lauren. And if you say she doesn't mean anything to you, then I believe you."

Lauren looked down at their hands and smiled. "My Queen," she said. "I am sure you needn't worry. It'll be fine." She kissed Bo on the cheek.

"I hope you're right."

* * *

"Trust in me, Kenz." Lauren walked ahead of Kenzi, onto the field.

"With all due respect," Kenzi slid the sunglasses over her nose. "You know I'd follow you into battle, but sometimes you miss the point."

Lauren rolled her eyes as they approached the line of trees. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You get so focused on a problem that you inevitably wind up forgetting why you are trying to solve the problem."

"Oh yeah, and what about you?"

There was a short silence before: "I don't want to talk about it."

Lauren laughed. "Is that so?" Kenzi stopped abruptly, Lauren backtracking to her side. She paused, studying her friend for a moment. "You slept with him."

"It felt like the right time." She kicked at the ground beneath her feet.

"But you were disappointed…" She finished.

"Yeah- No, I mean, I don't know." Kenzi sighed, resigned. "I just wanted someone to throw me around and have a good time."

Lauren's eyebrows raised. "So what did you get?"

"He made love to me."

Lauren gasped. "That sounds _terrible_."

Kenzi pushed Lauren's shoulder, knocking her off-balance. She laughed. "What am I going to do, Lauren?"

"You have to tell him."

"No way. I can't do that."

"It's just sex, Kenzi."

"Says the doctor." Kenzi rolled her eyes. "You of all people should know it's not that simple."

Lauren shrugged. "I guess you're right." She started to walk again. "Look, Kenz, he obviously loves you, where are you at?"

She sucked in a breath through her teeth. "I'm not sure. He's thoughtful and we have a lot of fun together…"

"Then what?" Lauren climbed down the incline to a large rock beside the stream.

Kenzi jumped down behind her. "I never asked him to love me."

Lauren sat on the edge of the rock. "I'm beginning to understand." She looked out over the stream that babbled by.

"You and Bo?" Kenzi said, climbing up next to her.

She nodded. "I love her, I do, but sometimes I feel like I'm trapped in her destiny."

Kenzi was stunned. "You never told me that…"

She shrugged. "How do you say, _'I love you but I need some space' _without hurting anyone?"

"You tell me…"

Lauren smiled. "I'm still working on it."

* * *

As they hiked up the hill, she appeared on the horizon like mirage and Lauren was suddenly parched. The wind blew her hair off her shoulder as she strutted toward them, two guards trailing her dutifully. She smiled. "I've been looking for you," the Queen said.

"Just catching up with Kenzi," Lauren said with a smile.

"Very good." She turned to face Lauren. "Would you accompany me on a ride before dinner?"

"Of course." She nodded.

"I'll leave you to it." Kenzi nodded and backed up a few steps. "Enjoy your ride." She marched up the incline and out of sight.

Bo turned to Lauren and sighed with a smile. "I thought we could both use some fresh air. I refuse to be held hostage by those parasites any longer." She guided Lauren up the hill and as they walked across the field to the stables, Lauren's hand found hers.

When they arrived at the stables there was a bigger fuss than usual paid to the Queen and herself but she enjoyed the warm breeze on her face and the and the fresh air in her lungs. Bo was right, being cooped up in the castle had done nothing but drive them apart. Bo returned to her side after a long conversation with the stable manager.

"I have a confession to make," Bo whispered into her ear. Lauren tensed, not sure she was ready for another revelation so soon. "I got you something…" The stable boy led two horses toward them, on the right was Juno, Bo's prized mare and on the left was a horse she had never seen before, a beautiful white horse with black spots on its muzzle and blotches along its back and croup. It's wide blue eyes stirred something in her. The new horse snorted and stamped its foot as Juno swished her tail and bowed her head to greet Bo.

She took the reins of the Tovero and walked her out onto the field with her, Bo following with Juno. Lauren stood in front of her horse stroking its face, she turned to Bo. "This is too much, Bo."

"I couldn't wait until your Coronation, and when I saw her, I knew she was yours."

"She's breathtaking."

"Let's see what she can do." Bo climbed atop her raven-colored horse, tapped her heels into Juno's side, and she started running.

"Hey!" She called after Bo and pulled herself into the saddle. Clicking her tongue, she snapped the reins and charged after Bo and Juno. She was fast, almost as fast as Juno, and responsive as they dashed through the brush. Bo smiled over her shoulder as she ran ahead of her and Lauren couldn't remember why she was still having such a difficult time resolving her feelings of trepidation.

Emerging from an outcropping of trees, Bo dashed onto the boardwalk that floated on the outskirts of a pond. Juno's hooves stamped onto the marshy shore and reared up as they skidded to a stop on the grass. Lauren pulled back on the reins and stopped beside Bo. Her heart was pounding, she was out of breath and she couldn't wipe the smile from her face. She remembered when Bo took her from the dungeon and brought her along for a ride; when their love was just beginning and she was just as confused. Not about loving Bo, no, she was certain of that, it was everything else that sent her off the deep end.

Bo smiled at her and it melted the iceberg that had been numbing her. "What do you think?"

"She's magnificent. What do you call her?"

"I call her Minerva, but she's yours now."

Lauren smiled and shook her head. "No, it's perfect." She grabbed the lapels of Bo's jacket and kissed her. The kiss was a quiet revolution, stirring Lauren to her very core and when she pulled back she could tell it had done the same for Bo.

Bo looked over Lauren's shoulder at the two guards on horseback that had been following them. "Let's go somewhere more private," she said trailing a finger from Lauren's cheek to her chin.

"Catch me if you can," she teased before kicking her heels into Minerva's side and galloping away. She rode her hard, the sound of the boardwalk echoing beneath her hooves, water sloshing up her legs. Lauren navigated the trees and shrubs like the obstacle course they were until she came upon the trail that had led them to the pond.

Bo and Juno were biting on their heels once the trail opened up but she pushed Minerva harder and they started to pull away. Minerva's muscles rippled beneath her skin as Lauren pressed on. She was certain Bo could've overtaken her but was trailing so she could watch Lauren's rear end, an unusual bid at foreplay to be sure but Bo had her predilections.

Lauren guided Minerva up the steep incline as they approached the stables, Bo and Juno still hot on their heels. Slowing up, Bo came to ride beside her and it was her turn to smile. Lauren knew the twinkle in her eyes was just for her, and that knowledge imbued her with emotion.

"You looked good out there," Bo said, catching her breath.

Lauren bowed her head and smiled through the veil of her hair. "Thanks," she said her seduction in full effect. She jumped down and walked Minerva to the stable attendant, waiting as Bo handed Juno off to the stable boy. As the Queen approached she was noticeably softer, letting her eyes fall to the ground as she walked, her features gentle and unguarded.

Walking quickly, the women approached the castle with one thing on their minds. The inconvenience of being tailed by guards at all times was an irritating reality of the situation they found themselves in. Her fire for Bo was back and there was no missing the fact it hadn't gone far.

"My Queen!" Verns called out for them from the other end of the promenade. Bo groaned and she pulled up, stopping in front of the castle's tower. "There was a disagreement at the gates. She says she's here to see Dr. Lewis," Verns said crooking a thumb at the woman being held by another pair of guards.

Bo turned sharply, her eyes brimming with power as they raked over the now infamous woman. She wasn't much to look at, rather plain but she possessed a quality that could have passed for lovely if Bo didn't hate her already. "What's your name?" She asked, already knowing the answer.

She removed her hat, floppy from years of wear, striking red hair tumbling to her shoulders, and shielded her stunning green eyes from the sun with the back of her hand. "Violette, my Queen."

"My dear Violette," Bo started, crossing her arms. "I have heard the stories. You're the lawless sort, you didn't pledge allegiance to your kind during the war, choosing to work both sides against the middle, and yet your salutation proves that you are not to be trusted."

Violette nodded and in the blink of an eye, found her mark standing a few steps behind the Dark Queen. "It is true, I am a Reynard, a smuggler by trade, it is my nature."

Bo paced. "As a succubus I know all about the nature of my Fae. Do you know how I feed?"

Violette smirked. "Sex, of course."

"So you must know that a Fae as powerful as myself could kill a human easily if I were to feed off them. How is it that she stands before you, then?"

Violette blinked, unsure she understood. "I'm sorry?"

"Dr. Lewis shares my bed and I have not harmed her."

"Bo," Lauren warned.

The tone was lost on the Queen. "What I mean to say is that you are not cast by what type of Fae you are. You are cast by your character."

"Enough, Bo," Lauren admonished. She took a step toward Violette. "Did you bring everything?"

"I had to give up my favorite rune, a rare tusk and a small fortune to get what you wanted."

"Anything, we will repay in kind," Lauren said a bit desperately.

She reached into her satchel and produced a package wrapped in brown paper and tied with leather straps. Violette held the small box in front of her and Lauren received it gratefully. Bo watched the women interact with interest. Violette's eyes lingered on Lauren and she mumbled in French as she had once before, except this time Bo heard her.

"'_Heavenly creature, you haunt me still?_'" the Queen repeated, her lip quirked. Lauren looked between Bo and the look of panic on Violette's face when Bo took a step forward. "You have the gall of a hundred men and you are lucky you don't find yourself in my dungeon for treason. But…" She smiled. "…the war is over and you can do business with anyone you please. What I won't tolerate, however…" Her smile faded and she wore a grim expression in its place. "…is flattery with a forked tongue. Stay away from Dr. Lewis." She turned to Verns. "Show her out."

"Wait," She asked as Verns grabbed her arm and began to drag her away. "What of my payment?"

"Of course, where are my manners?" Bo reached into her pocket and withdrew a purse, bursting with gold coins and tossed it to Violette. "I trust this will make up for your favorite rune."

Lauren watched the exchange, not missing the glance Violette threw her way as she tested the weight of the purse in her hand. "Thank you, my Queen."

Bo gritted her teeth at Violette's insolence, paying false tribute to her once again and turned away abruptly, heading for the large doors of the tower. Lauren followed her without giving Violette another look.

* * *

When the elevator doors slid closed, Lauren closed her eyes, relieved the ordeal was over. She had the material she needed in her hands and it was all she could think about to get back to the clinic and her lab.

"She's pretty," Bo said, breaking the silence.

Lauren looked at Bo and shrugged. "Yeah, I guess."

"I was surprised because you never described her like that."

"Because she's a horrible person," Lauren said to the panel of buttons. "It's easy to forget that outwardly that is not true."

"But she came through for you…"

Lauren scoffed. "Yeah. And was probably hoping for something other than coin in return."

"I have an idea about what she might want."

Lauren stepped in front of Bo and laid her palm over Bo's heart, leaning forward to kiss her neck. "And yet you seem oblivious to the fact that I want you."

Bo sighed. "You have my attention." She smiled, taking Lauren's hand in hers and kissing her fingers. The elevator dinged and the doors opened as she pulled Bo through the opening, marching past a pair of guards in the dining room to their bedroom. Inside the dim room, Lauren kissed her hard, knocking them backwards into the room as the door slammed shut. She tore at Bo's clothing, wrenching her top and bra off before sliding the skin-tight fabric down her legs.

Her scent was intoxicating and Lauren couldn't resist tasting her. Bo gasped and held Lauren's head against her urging her on. Bo looked at the ceiling, luxuriating in Lauren's mouth against her, her rough tongue teasing her apart. Bo was enthralled by her movements, the time she took to please her, the hand that steadied her even as she still stood beside the bed, and the enthusiasm with which she attended to her. And when her knees grew weak, she crumpled onto the bed, her moans exploding in Lauren's ears.

Lauren crawled over her, kissing her collarbone to her throat before settling on top of her. "You taste of ambrosia," she breathed into Bo's ear.

She bit her lip, a moan escaping her as Lauren pressed herself against Bo, who leaned up to capture her mouth. It was a heart-stopping kiss, one that melted defenses and crushed their doubts. There was so much to worry about but Bo embraced irresponsibility as she lost herself to Lauren over and over again, forgetting about Vex, Evony and her new foil, Violette. Bo's love was a ritual, an art, a metaphysical journey and stripping her bare, she would make love to Lauren for hours until dinner came at midnight when she had finally exhausted her.

* * *

"Lauren."

She didn't stir until she felt Bo's lips next to her ear, whispering her name again.

"What's wrong?" she said, clearing her throat. The ache in her bones overwhelmed her when she roused.

Bo sat on the edge of the bed. "Two castle guards are missing," she said. "They didn't report for their shift change this morning and their bunks weren't slept in."

Lauren rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Isn't that something Kenzi can handle?"

"I'd like you to take a look at their bunks if you could," Bo said.

"Sure." Lauren nodded, sat back on her elbows, and flinched at the throb she felt.

"Sore?"

She shook her head. "It's fine," Lauren lied.

Bo put a hand on her thigh, squeezing gently. "You don't have to pretend, Lauren. I see how it hurts you."

Lauren sat up. "I'm fine, Bo," she said. "I can handle it."

Bo nodded. "If that's how you want it… Can I get you anything?"

"Coffee," she said, holding her head.

Bo exhaled, looking over Lauren for a moment before leaving the bedroom. Falling back onto the bed, Lauren sighed melodramatically. She couldn't deal with Bo's guilt today. With the outbreak stabilized and Violette out of the picture, she had to focus. Now she had bigger fish to fry. She was going to find Vex and Evony and finally put to bed this business of revenge.

* * *

END PART FIVE


	6. Chapter 6

"It's strange that words are so inadequate. Yet, like the asthmatic struggling for breath, so the lover must struggle for words."-T. S. Eliot

* * *

Oren was back. He'd knocked on her door after supper and they made love again. She didn't even have the chance to update him on the most recent developments. There was an urgency to their kisses, a jubilation when they tore at each other's fatigues as they tumbled to her bunk. The enthusiasm that she was missing the last time they were together was redoubled during his homecoming. She wasn't sure what it meant in the end, but all Kenzi knew was that she was happy he was back. She had spent the entire time Oren was away thinking about him and she couldn't have planned a more perfect reunion.

"How did your mission go?" Kenzi said, stroking his chest.

"Forty-seven able bodied Humans at the Queen's service." His smile was effusive and Kenzi couldn't help but to join him.

"I see a promotion in your future," Kenzi teased.

"That's not my aim. I serve the Queen, any honor beyond that is a bonus."

"Soon you will be indispensable."

"That is my goal," he said, wrapping his arm around Kenzi's shoulders. "I admire what she's done with Dr. Lewis to end the war. Leadership like that deserves a loyalty equal to it."

Kenzi nestled further into him. "I never knew you were so political."

He smiled. "Well, you have to have a reason to keep fighting."

"I guess you're right."

"What about you? Who are you fighting for?"

Kenzi stared at the ceiling of her bunk, trying to gain some courage from the shapes in the tile that kept her company when she couldn't sleep. "Dr. Lewis. She's the closest thing I have to family."

He squeezed her. "You've got me." When Kenzi didn't reply immediately, his smile faded.

"Oren…"

He sat up, confused. "I just thought-"

"Oren," she put a hand on his thigh. "I care about you."

He shook his head, swinging his legs over the side of bed. "You don't have to pretend. I get it."

"Look, I'm here with you because I want to be. Let's not label it."

"I want a girlfriend, Kenzi." He stood and hastily pulled on his fatigues. "I want someone who will love me back."

"Maybe I still can?" she asked, holding the sheet around her. "Why is there a timetable?"

Oren grabbed his duffle bag. "If you don't know by now, it's already too late." He shook his head and started to the door. "Goodbye Kenzi."

"Oren…" She sighed as the door shut and he was gone.

* * *

She had been at it since two in the morning. Lauren had awakened with the formula swirling around her head and Bo's arm wrapped securely around her. With a deeper understanding of her own formula, she had pondered it for the days she waited for the raw materials to be delivered and finally, an epiphany came to her in slumber. With the new organic sample, she refined her method; streamlined it and the end result, which came just before sun up, was two syringes, locked and loaded, ready for the Fae that had infested Bo's castle.

She checked her watch when she started to see the halls beyond the lab doors fill with people. It was breakfast time and if she hurried she could share the news over coffee with Bo. She erased any evidence of what she was doing before her lab assistants came on shift and slipped the syringes into her coat pocket. She wiped down the stainless steel tables and arranged everything the way she'd found it. In about ten minutes, assistants, technicians, and doctors would be in the clinic's lab to start their days. Grabbing her keys, Lauren opened the door and locked it up tight, giving it the illusion that she had never been there.

* * *

Lauren sat across the sofa from Bo, the two syringes sitting innocently on the cushion.

"So this is the answer?" Bo asked, reaching for glass cartridge. Lauren grabbed her hand firmly, their hands hovering between them.

"I'd rather you didn't touch them," Lauren said, moving her hand to the side. "Sorry."

Bo looked at Lauren and then the syringes. "Then these will work?"

Lauren's eyebrows raised. "They better." She tucked the syringes into her jacket again and reached for the coffee on the table. Lauren sipped the gourmet blend when the elevator dinged and Kenzi emerged. "Kenzi," Lauren said. "You're not on shift for another two hours."

"I know," she sighed stopping short of the sitting area. "My Queen, may I steal Doctor Lewis for a bit?"

Bo nodded with a smile. She was understanding of the connection between the two women as they had been locked together well before Bo was ever in the picture and today was no different. "Certainly." She waved a hand. "I hope it's nothing serious."

"No, my Queen, I assure you it's nothing of the sort." She looked at Lauren with wild eyes and she took one last sip of her coffee before joining Kenzi on the elevator.

Lauren could feel the tension in Kenzi but she said nothing as the elevator descended. They walked out onto the front lawn and stopped beneath a large tree.

"'_Tell the truth,'_ she said," Kenzi mocked. "Look, I told the truth and look where it got me," she exclaimed pacing on the grass in front of Lauren.

"You did the right thing, Kenzi."

"Then why does it feel like I made the biggest mistake since that time I ate all those jujubes and washed them down with a six pack of beer?"

"Well, you _were _hungry…"

"Yeah, what if that's all I was, Lauren?" She dropped onto the grass, cross-legged. "What if I broke that sweet boy's heart because I was horny?" Her head fell into her hands. "I'm a horrible person."

"You're not horrible," Lauren consoled her. "You're just really confused."

"Gee, thanks, Doc."

"Well…? What do you want me to say, Kenzi? If you don't love him, you don't love him."

"But maybe I could love him…"

"And what if you can't and you spend six months with him all the while he's head over heels for you. How much worse do you want this to get?"

"Should I talk to him? I should talk to him, right?" Kenzi looked up at Lauren, eyebrows raised.

Lauren wasn't sure if Kenzi was kidding, but the longer they stared at each other, the more she started to realize that it wasn't a joke. "And what would you say?" Kenzi's head fell back into her hands. "Save your breath, Kenzi. Nobody wants to be reminded that they weren't good enough for someone they loved."

"But here's the thing… I miss him."

Lauren sighed and shook her head. "Shit."

Kenzi's head snapped up. "What?"

"That's how it starts!"

"Oh, shit."

* * *

Two guards, both seasoned, both trusted, disappear into thin air amidst the castle reeling from outbreak. Bo held the records of each missing guard and shook her head. She made such a big deal about not being tied down, about being there for her people, and there she was, sitting in the throne room, at a complete loss. And if this wasn't the worst of it, Vex and Evony were still at large, taunting them from a distance that was frustratingly close, yet far. All at an increasingly uncomfortable distance to one of the most important days of her life.

Bo sighed and leaned on the arm of the ornate throne. Her father never really taught her how to rule, but when he died, she knew she didn't want to rule like him. He would have hated Lauren. He couldn't stand to be questioned. And while Bo had come to realize what a priceless quality that was for a ruler, her father would see it as a direct insult. And from a Human? Bo stared at the family portrait above the fireplace, the smirk creeping across her face. She knew Lauren wouldn't think twice about going toe-to-toe with him. And she'd pay to see that.

Lost in her thoughts, Bo jumped when the doors burst open and Dyson marched in with a familiar figure in tow. "Dyson? What is the meaning of this?"

"I caught her stealing from the dispensary," Dyson said pushing Violette toward the Queen.

Bo straightened on her throne, drumming her fingers on the gilded wood. "I didn't think we'd meet again so soon," she said, leveling her gaze on the upstart.

Violette looked back at Dyson, her hands tied in front of her. "I didn't think you'd send your General to follow me," she sneered.

The Queen smiled. "I had and inkling that you might not leave my colony without leaving your mark."

"Is that why you have kept me from Lauren?" Violette asked.

"Careful, your character is showing," Bo said, thumbing her nose at the wandering thief.

Violette took a step forward and Dyson growled. Bo held a hand up to stop him from intervening. "She won't stay in your birdcage forever."

The side door slammed. Hurried footsteps clicked against the stone floor and all eyes were on Lauren who approached the throne. She had a singular mission and did not waste a glance on Dyson or Violette. "We need to talk," she said, slightly out of breath.

Bo narrowed her eyes at Violette, who grunted her amusement. "Certainly," Bo said, standing and moving to join Lauren. "Let's take a walk. Dyson." She looked over her shoulder. "We'll talk later."

When they were in the hall, Bo stopped Lauren and took her arm. "What's wrong?"

"It's Vex," Lauren delivered the bad news. "He was spotted near the Conservatory. Guards are combing the area as we speak." She started down the hall again and Bo caught up in a few quick strides.

"When?"

"An hour ago at most."

"Shit," Bo sighed. "Any sign of him since?"

Lauren shook her head. "Same as last time. He just disappeared." Lauren put her hand on Bo's arm and stopped her in an alcove. "By the way, what the hell was that back there? Why does Dyson have Violette shackled?"

"She stole from the colony."

Lauren nodded, not surprised. "What do you mean to do?"

"I thought I'd leave that to you, my Queen." Bo smirked, obviously pleased with herself and Lauren shifted uncomfortably at the notion.

"Well isn't that sweet?" His voice boomed through the hallway. Lauren's hand shot into the pocket of her jacket as she scanned the scattering crowd for Vex. And then he appeared: head down, charging towards the women at full speed. One of the Queen's guards headed him off, taking him out at the knees and the second guard dove on top of the pile, Vex giggling like a child as the heap of men rolled around. Lauren removed a syringe from her pocket and jumped into the fray, trying to discern Vex's limbs from the guards' as she uncapped the syringe.

"Enough!" Her voice reverberated against the walls. Evony stood, parting the sea of citizens as she walked up the middle of the hallway.

And then the world stopped. Lauren was frozen in time, watching as Vex rose from the pile of castle guards and, grinning like a madman, began to approach her.

"Lauren!" Bo called and Vex was quick to direct his power to the Queen as well as Vex invaded Lauren's space. Bo's eyes radiated in anger as she was held still.

"Ah, ah, ah, Doctor," Vex taunted, motioning her arm into the air. "We won't be having anymore of your syringes today." Her arm dropped again as he stepped in close. "You know who looks like they could use a little poke, though?" He giggled and spun Lauren around, leading her to Bo's side.

"No," Lauren shook her head. "Please, no."

"All's fair in love and war, darling." Vex lifted his arms and Lauren inserted the needle into Bo's neck.

"Fae goodbye, Queenie," Evony said, squinting her eyes with glee. Lauren pressed the plunger and injected the serum into the Queen.

"No!" Lauren cried out.

Bo's eyes fluttered and her body sagged as if the weight of her royal duties were too heavy for her now. Vex freed both women from his grasp and Lauren rushed to Bo's side, easing her to the floor as a small group of guards could be heard approaching.

"We're not finished yet, Doctor," Evony warned.

"See you soon!" Vex waved as they ran off down the hallway.

A few guards continued after the pair, but a couple stayed behind, looking at their Queen in concern. "Go!" Lauren shouted. "Catch them!" The men looked at each other and took off again, leaving Lauren to assess Bo's situation. "Bo." She moved to help support her. "Let's get you home."

The halls had been cleared of people so there was little to avoid as they made their way to the elevator. Lauren was grateful to be accepted as a Human in the colony so the Queen's new scent would be well-camouflaged if they came upon anyone else. Except the one person they came across was the shifter who knew Bo's scent better than anyone else. Dyson stood outside Bo's throne room with Violette trying to get a sense of what had gone on when Bo and Lauren walked past.

He inhaled and frowned as they approached, it taking him until they passed to process the information. "My Queen!" Dyson called out.

Lauren turned back, her arm around Bo's waist. "Put the prisoner in the dungeon and report upstairs as soon as possible," she ordered.

"But…"

"Dyson, this isn't a good time. Put the prisoner in the dungeon and meet us upstairs," she repeated.

"Yes, Doctor." He nodded.

Lauren punched the elevator button and scanned the area as they waited for the car to arrive. When the doors opened, Lauren pulled her into the elevator and a sigh of relief escaped her. They were safe for the time being. She turned her attentions to Bo, cradling her face in her hands and examined her. Lauren looked into her eyes, her pupils were dilated. Lauren kissed her softly.

"I'm going to fix this," she whispered. "I promise."

Bo was obviously in shock, not really registering the meaning of Lauren's words. When the elevator doors opened, Verns stood at the ready for a change, having heard about the attack by now.

"The Queen isn't feeling well." Lauren breezed past him with Bo on her arm. "When General Dyson arrives, you may go."

In their bedroom, Lauren helped Bo into bed and retrieved a cold compress from the bathroom, dabbing her face before covering her forehead with it. "Rest now," Lauren hushed her. She stayed with her until she heard the elevator. "I'll be right back," she said in her most reassuring tone and as she turned to leave, Bo called out for her.

"Lauren?"

She leaned over Bo. "What is it?"

"Can I have some of those electrolytes you're always talking about?"

Lauren smiled. "Absolutely." She kissed her on the cheek. "I'll be back soon." Lauren straightened as she approached the door. She was assuming the role of Queen for her biggest detractor when she was the one who had stripped the most powerful Fae and rightful Queen of her powers. This literally was as bad as it could get. She took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Dyson, thank you for coming." She shut the door behind her.

"Where's Bo? Is she all right?" He was on high alert, she could tell. He stood in front of her, seething with raw energy.

"She's resting, keep your voice down." She motioned him over to the living room and sat across from him on the sofa. "I think you know what I'm going to say, Dyson."

"No, it can't be," he shook his head. "This is what you've always wanted." He slammed his hand down on the coffee table in front of him and stood, pacing angrily. "You're going to fix this," he said. "You _must_ fix this."

Lauren sighed and closed her eyes. He was only saying everything that had been swirling around her head. "As soon as I know she's taken care of, I will be in my lab. That's where you come in…"

Dyson straightened. "I serve the Queen. Anything she needs."

"You're the only person who can keep her safe, Dyson. Vex is no match for your speed. I can't trust anyone else."

"It would be my honor," he said with a nod.

"I'm glad to hear you say that." She made a move to go to the kitchen for her electrolyte cocktail.

"I'm not doing it for you," he said.

She stopped short and she turned back toward him. "Well that's a relief. I wouldn't want to owe you a favor."

"You are the reason all that's bad has befallen the castle."

Lauren had to laugh. "Is that what you think of me, Dyson? Some chaos-bringer hell bent on destroying Bo and her kingdom?" She waved her hand in the air. "You've had all this time to think about the chaos _you_ brought to our lives and still you act as if you're above me."

Dyson's chest emitted a low growl. "I am still Fae and you have not had your Coronation ceremony, so I'd say that's very true."

She wanted so badly to tell him to leave, that she would clean up the mess on her own. Even if she had to bring a microscope to Bo's bedside and rework her entire genetic sequence so she could reverse the serum, she would do it. Especially if it meant not having to deal with Dyson again. But this was about Bo and he would be in her go-to strategy, she was certain so she swallowed her pride. "Then enjoy what little place you have over me while you can, General." Maybe not all her pride.

"Foolish Human," he said. "Do you even know what a Queen Consort is?"

"I have an idea."

"An idea?" He laughed. "It is a figurehead position. You will have no authority over anything."

"It's still an honor you will never know," she said. She turned and disappeared into the kitchen, returning almost immediately with a glass and the pitcher of electrolyte solution from the refrigerator. She passed him and paused, hand on the bedroom doorknob. "Your post is over there," she pointed to the elevators.

"What if she needs me?"

"As her doctor, let me assure you, she will be fine." She opened the door and stepped into the bedroom.

Bo sat up on an elbow. "I'm so thirsty."

"Drink this." She poured the clear solution into a glass. "It will help." Lauren had no idea if it would help, actually. She had never gone through a fundamental gene change before, but she knew what it felt like to be sucked dry by a Fae and could only hope the same thing worked for Bo as it did for her.

Bo took a couple of big gulps. "Tastes like water."

"You were expecting something fruitier?"

Bo shrugged. "Kinda."

"I'll work on it just as soon as I get you back to yourself."

She looked over the glass at Lauren. "You can do that?"

"Absolutely," she lied. She had no idea if there was a way to reverse this new serum, but she was determined to make one. Even if she had no idea how to do that yet. "Now rest, I'm going to the lab to start working on a new serum for you. Don't worry about a thing, Dyson is posted at the elevators."

"Dyson?" Bo asked, confused.

"He's the only one we can trust to watch over you right now, my Queen. The colony mustn't know you are Human."

"You will make a fine Queen Consort," Bo said proudly.

Lauren smiled, a new wound opening where the last had closed. "It would be my honor."

* * *

END PART SIX


	7. Chapter 7

"The scientist is a lover of truth for the very love of truth itself, wherever it may lead."-Luther Burbank

* * *

It was well past supper time and Lauren was exhausted from hours in the lab in addition to the latest horrible development in her waking hell: Bo was Human at her hand. But she had promised Bo she'd settle Violette's crime and, in the process, defend their commitment against her past. The elevator descended to the dungeon and Lauren steeled herself against what she would find there this time. Inevitability sunk into her bones as the elevator doors opened. She inhaled deeply and stepped into hell once again.

It wasn't as vile as it felt as a captive. The damp smell of mildew was ever present, but with the lack of population, the stench of blood and sweat was a faint memory. Violette was in the cell at the end; Lauren's old bunk and that made it much more difficult for her to separate from what she must do. Vi stood as she approached the cell and smiled. It was a smile Lauren had not seen for three years and now that they were alone, she struggled against the tide of memories.

"Lauren." She sucked in a breath as she looked the doctor over. "It's good to see you."

"I'm afraid this isn't a social call." Lauren ignored the pleasantries. "You're accused of theft and the Queen has asked that I sentence you."

Violette walked up to the bars, her green eyes glinting in the dim light. "She really has you brainwashed, doesn't she, Cherie?"

"Don't call me that." Lauren hated that term of endearment, even more when it passed through Violette's lips. It made her feel weak and needy, the way Violette had made her feel for enjoying their endeavors so thoroughly and so often. If sex was power, then Violette used to have it all.

Violette smirked. "You used to be fun, Cherie, what happened?"

"This is business," Lauren reminded the smuggler. "I did not barter a peace for you, Vi, though you are the one that seems to benefit from our policies."

She reached through the bars, long fingers touching the doctor's arm. "So tell me, what's it like being with a succubus? Does she make you-"

Lauren pulled her arm away from Violette. "Please stop."

Violette chortled. "Come now, you can't be more repressed than you were when we were together…"

"Believe it or not, there is sex after you. And had you ever made love to a succubus you wouldn't be so confident in your own skills."

"Oh ho," Violette exclaimed, slapping the bars with her hand. "There's that spirit, the fighter, where ya been, girl?"

"Why did you say those things outside, in front of Bo?"

Violette shrugged. "Because they are true."

Lauren looked at her feet and then back to Violette. "I'm sorry but I don't feel the same."

Violette's eyebrows raised. "You make love? With the succubus?"

Lauren shook her head and reached into her jacket for a ring of keys. "Nevermind."

"Hey, you brought it up, I'm simply asking for clarification."

Lauren ignored her. "I'm going to drop the charges against you."

"That's mighty nice of you," she mocked.

She unlocked the cell and stepped aside. "You need to leave now."

Sidling up to Lauren, Violette took over her personal space. She moved a lock of blonde hair from Lauren's shoulder and fingered the collar of her shirt. "You sure?" Her voice was low, thick with the expectancy of sex.

"I can't do this." Lauren looked away from Violette who moved closer still.

"Maybe you're not as happy as you pretend." Her lips brushed against Lauren's.

Lauren took a step back but was met with the steely confines of the cell door. "Vi," she said quietly if not a bit hopelessly.

"Are you happy? You can tell, Vi." Her thumb brushed Lauren's bottom lip and her tongue slipped out to chase the itch left behind.

"I love her." She turned her face away and swallowed hard.

"But you still feel something for me, I can tell." Violette turned Lauren's chin back to face her. "Tell me you don't feel it, too."

When Lauren's mouth opened, Violette covered it with her own. Her kiss was hungry and desperate, not unlike her kisses of the past. She was an oppressive force, stealing her every breath as they kissed. Lauren was lost in a terrible downward spiral, but when Violette boldly squeezed her breast, clarity suddenly followed. She was nothing like Bo. _God, Bo._

Lauren tore her mouth away from Violette's and shoved her back. "Stop." Her voice was loud in the small space and self-assured. She held Violette at bay. "You need to go."

She raised her hands in mock-surrender. "I'll just grab my hat." She brushed past Lauren once again and lifted her hat from the cot. "Shall we?"

* * *

Lauren walked Violette to the gates herself, taking no chances that she might decide to stick around. The problem with that plan was that she had to endure one last pass as Violette tried to kiss her goodbye. As she returned to the castle, the cricket's song rattled her brain. It was too soon to tell if her experiments would yield anything that would release Bo back into her Fae but Lauren would remain patient because with science, anything was possible, she told herself.

Bo was asleep when she returned and Lauren took the opportunity to shower off the disgust she still felt over Violette in addition to the actual grime she felt from her time in the lab. It was the hottest, longest shower in recent memory and Lauren luxuriated in its relentless pounding of the water against her skin. Thoughts came in a flurry, formulas for chemical reactions, math equations left unsolved, and emotions she couldn't deal with so she stuffed them deep, deep down and hoped they wouldn't expand.

And then reality came crashing down. She hadn't let herself feel anything about what she had done to Bo. Yes, she felt panic for the state and anxiety for Bo but Lauren couldn't quantify stripping away her one true love's biological gifts because a Mesmer made her do it in emotions. A wave of guilt overcame her, followed swiftly by one of loss and the fear of losing Bo. Tears pricked her eyes and she began to sob, her body shaking. Sinking down to the tiled floor of the shower stall, Lauren let her head fall onto her knees as she hugged them to her chest and wept uncontrollably.

Science could fix a lot of things but it could also mess up just as many. And boy, had she messed up. She had brought the serum to fruition during her tenure at the castle's laboratory and then stockpiled it for her own piece of mind before destroying it (also for her own piece of mind). And then she recreated it only to dose the Queen and steal her Fae away. Any way you cut it, this was all Lauren's fault.

Out of the shower, her face was hot from crying. She splashed cold water onto her face and stared in the mirror, overwhelmed with sadness. What had she done? She dried her hair and set the towel aside, leaving the bathroom and coming to stand beside the bed. Bo's bare back was on display and her body was carelessly posed, a departure from the Queen's once regal sleeping posture. _She was Human now. _

Climbing into bed behind her, Lauren pulled Bo against her and held her tightly. Her skin was cooler than Lauren ever remembered it being and even her scent was subdued. Bo began to stir in her arms.

"What time is it?"

"Ten thirty," Lauren whispered against her hair.

"I had the strangest dream," she mumbled. "I dreamt that you couldn't find a cure for this and we were exiled from the kingdom." Lauren swallowed. "But as terrible as that sounds, we were able to get away from here, go somewhere exotic and live out the rest of our days together."

"What's so strange about that?"

"I guess what I'm saying is, I know what's been done and what it's going to take to reverse it-if that's even possible-and I'm okay with that."

Lauren lifted her head from the pillow and looked over Bo's profile. "Are you sure?"

"I just want to be with you." Bo answered, sighing sleepily.

Tears filled her eyes again and she blinked them away into the pillow. Leaning forward, Lauren pressed her lips against the back of Bo's neck, kissing her softly. "Me too," she said.

* * *

When morning came, Lauren woke beside Bo, something that rarely ever happened when the Queen was Fae. A succubus didn't require much sleep and Lauren could sleep through a stampede so if they weren't having sex they were rarely asleep at the same time. Bo didn't even try to touch her the night before which was beyond unusual. She couldn't remember the last time she slept through the night without some carnal explorations. Lauren rolled over to find Bo waiting for her to wake. "Long day, Doctor?"

"An even shorter night." She rubbed her face and moved to get up.

Bo put a hand on her arm. "Leaving so quickly?"

Lauren smiled. Bo still had the same moves. "I need to get to the lab."

"Any chance you could take a break for lunch?"

"Bo, I really need to focus on this, we have to get your Fae back."

"Oh." She nodded. "You're probably right. Maybe I'll go for a ride. Juno must be lonely."

"I'm sorry, Bo but you can't leave the apartment. I'll check on Juno before returning." She pulled on a pair of pants and fastened her bra before disappearing into the closet and returning with a button up shirt. She yanked a camisole over her head and buttoned her shirt. Walking to Bo's side of the bed, she sat beside her, her sleepy smile touching Lauren deeply. She had an innocence about her now that she was Human and Lauren wanted to nurture it.

"Very well," she said. "I guess it's cards with Dyson." She folded her hands onto her lap.

"Give him hell," she kissed her on the cheek. "I'll see you tonight." She turned toward the door.

"Lauren?" She paused with her hand on the knob, turning to face Bo. "I love you so much I barely recognize myself anymore."

"I know you," Lauren reassured her with a smile. "I could spot you a mile away."

* * *

The rain pelted the castle and poured over the slanted roof of the stables, soaking Kenzi's cap. She crossed her arms as Oren knelt next to the body found three stalls over from Juno and Minerva. He was familiar with one of the missing guards, bunking with him when he first arrived at the castle. When they got the call from one of the stable boys, he was quick to react.

Thunder rumbled overhead as she watched him make a fist before getting to his feet and instructing the nearby guards to deal with the body. When he turned, his eyes were downcast as he approached. Kenzi stared at him and waited, the thrum of the rain was beginning to calm her nerves.

"Well?" she asked.

Oren nodded. "It's him."

"_Fuck_," Kenzi whispered. She shone her flashlight into the dark rafters above them. "How is this happening?"

He looked at her, a little too long, and lifted his gaze to the ceiling as well. "Maybe there's a secret passage," he said. "These old castles have tons of them."

Kenzi blinked and switched the flashlight off, her mouth agape. "Of course, you're brilliant."

"What?" Oren looked down at her hand gripping his forearm.

"I've heard the Queen talk about some areas in the castle that have been abandoned." Kenzi pulled him back into the castle. "Come on, let's go to the library, maybe there are some old plans we can look at and find out where these bastards are hiding."

* * *

The rain continued for most of the day. Bo stared at the cup of tea that steamed next to the pile of cards on the table, a plate of cookies nearby. She wondered what Lauren was doing, whether or not she was thinking of her, too. She wanted to go to her; to be a part of the investigation, to be of some use. Instead she sat with Dyson, her somewhat exiled General, playing pointless card games to pass the time.

She looked up from her collection of hearts and spades to find Dyson's eyes on her again, inquisitive, his nose taking in her scent as if he didn't believe it. "Why do you keep looking at me like that?" she asked.

Dyson blinked. "Like what?"

Her eyes bore into her hand. "Like you pity me."

His eyes fell. "I'm sorry."

"But you do."

Dyson looked back at her. "Permission to be honest, my Queen."

Bo put her cards down on the table. "As my General, I would expect you to be."

"We're not going to be able to hide your… predicament forever." He crossed his arms. "We should be thinking of an escape plan."

"An escape plan?" Bo repeated.

"A Human Queen of the Fae?" he asked. "We've already asked so much of the kingdom."

Bo straightened in her chair, the sudden increase in heart rate was alarming. "I'm confident Lauren will come through."

"Like she did the last time?"

Bo got to her feet swiftly, the chair dragging across the floor behind her. "I would watch your step, General."

He held his head high. "You are aware of the truth in my statement."

"I am also aware of your reckless paranoia nearly killing all of us in the Outlands not too long ago."

Dyson's lips grew taut and he stood. "I have already explained myself about that."

"And yet you are so eager to bring up Dr. Lewis' past mistakes." She watched Dyson scoff and wave her off, walking into the living room.

He turned then, looking at her with a disappointed gaze. "I remember when you defended me like that."

"Dyson…" She warned.

"I want back in," he said, drawing in a breath that puffed out his chest. "I cannot return to my detail. I belong here. With you." Bo crossed her arms in front of her. "Please. I deserve a chance at redemption."

Bo sighed. She wasn't really in a position to refuse his help, but it was the principle behind it. "You may rejoin us," she started. "As soon as you pledge fealty to Lauren."

* * *

Fourteen hours in the lab and Lauren could honestly say she was getting nowhere fast. She felt absolutely destroyed at the pace things were moving but she had to be careful, double check her work so that she didn't waste another opportunity to make things right. There was no room for error anymore.

When she returned to the penthouse, she found Bo in her bedroom, sitting in the dark by the far window with a few candles burning on the table next to her. It almost looked like she was mourning the loss of someone.

Lauren set her bag down on the arm chair near the dresser and walked over to the window. "What's going on?" Lauren asked gently, draping her jacket over the arm of the chair across from Bo.

She didn't say a word. Her eyes were glossed and puffy, her lips rosy from crying, but there were no tears. It was that moment when there just aren't any more to shed. The Queen shook her head and looked out the window. "I can't do this," she said quietly, her voice slightly graveled. "I can't be Human."

Lauren sat on the edge of the other chair, holding Bo's hand. "I thought you were okay with this?"

The Queen sucked in a breath and expelled it heavily. "I lied," she whispered.

"It'll be okay," Lauren reassured her.

Bo smiled. "You can't promise me that."

"Sure I can, I'm Human and I'm doing all right."

She lifted Lauren's hand to her lips and kissed her fingers. "We will be ostracized when the colony hears of my transformation."

Lauren watched her, captivated. "You always told me that you wanted to see the world," she said.

"Having a kingdom to return to continues to be a worry of mine." She sighed. "I can't even make love to you like this."

Lauren pulled her hand away suddenly and straightened. "Now you're just being ridiculous."

Bo sat forward and sighed, taking Lauren's hands in hers. "I don't know how you ever manage with all these… emotions."

Lauren smirked. "Years of practice."

"I can't sleep, I can't eat, all I can think about is us and how I could possibly provide for you and protect my kingdom in this… state." Bo played with her fingers. "And I haven't see you in so long, it feels like you won't even give me a second look."

"Bo, come on, that's silly." She squeezed her hands. "I've just been so busy trying to reverse this. To bring your Fae back."

"I know, I just…I need you too."

Lauren smoothed the hair from Bo's face and cupped her cheeks, kissing her softly. "I'm right here."

Bo tasted their kiss on her lips and she kissed her again, this time more persistent and Lauren knew what was needed. As she led Bo away from the window, she noticed that she he was clumsier in her Human form, but still forward, confident and self-assured in her every movement. At the end of the bed, Bo held her with a newfound urgency which Lauren matched at every advance.

It was a vital exchange of bodies, of pleasure, and of love. Bo took control, sinking between her legs and connecting with her. Her mouth was relentless, holding divine pressure against Lauren's center as she writhed beneath her. She was no match for Bo's talents and release came quickly, in a choir of voices that were all her own.

There was no drain, no ache, just Bo in all her glory and Lauren reflected that in her current state she was not less than by any stretch of the imagination. They made love long into the night and when they were spent, Bo felt the exhaustion that was normally reserved for Lauren, along with the exhilaration that accompanied it. But for Lauren, she could only look into Bo's brown eyes, so expressive and youthful, and wonder if she could ever escape her labyrinth. This was it. Bo was it. And she was happy.

* * *

He could hear them moaning. They were three doors away but Dyson's damned Fae senses had keyed in on Bo first and then, unfortunately for him, Lauren. It had been two hours and they showed no sign of letting up soon. Like a monsoon that starts suddenly and pours on for hours, even days before finishing, Dyson was in his own personal hell.

"Wake up, wolf," Verns said, tapping his cards on the table between them.

Dyson growled and drew a card from the pile. "Gin," he said, laying down his hand.

Verns huffed and tossed his cards onto the pile. "Your deal."

Even the mundane game of cards did little to distract Dyson. He remembered very well what it was to be with Bo, and he'd be lying if those thoughts didn't keep him warm at night. When she spoke down to him, Dyson tempered his distain with these thoughts, too.

The elevator dinged. Dyson dropped the stack of cards as Kenzi approached. "We have a situation at the gates that needs your attention, Dyson."

"What is it?"

"Refugees from the other colonies are getting out of hand."

"I'm glad you came for me. A Fae riot is no place for a Human, even one as spirited as you." He stood quickly and dusting his hands off, walked to the elevator. "Feel free to pick up where I left off beating Verns tired self at cards." He disappeared into the car.

Kenzi sat down in front of Verns. "What are we playing?"

* * *

The penthouse was quiet early in the morning. Lauren had already disappeared to the lab for the day and Bo relaxed on the sofa in a black, red, and gold kimono. She reflected on the night before, making love with Lauren as a Human. It's not as if sex was that different, and she didn't even miss the drain on Lauren. Still, there was a lucidity as she made love to Lauren, one that let her look past animal need and slow things down, to feel her body and soul beneath her, and to connect with her on a level that she somehow missed as Fae was a spectacular privilege and honor, one that pricked her eyes with tears when it was over. She felt so deeply what it was to love Lauren.

Bo lifted the carafe and poured coffee into her waiting mug. Lifting a sugar cube with tongs, the Queen prepared her coffee. "Kenzi, sit with me," she said.

Kenzi, who stood at her post by the elevator with Verns turned, surprised. "Uh, sure." She looked at Verns and shrugged, walking to the conversation area in the living room and sat across from the Queen.

"Coffee?"

"Thank you," she said coyly.

Bo filled the mug. "What can you tell me of the missing guards?" She offered the dish of sugar cubes to the soldier. "Sugar?"

"Thanks," Kenzi stirred a cube into her mug. "Corporal Kershaw and I received a call from a stable hand last night who discovered a body we identified as the missing Sergeant Bradley."

The Queen's eyes closed. "That's unfortunate." Her eyes opened again and looked at the ceiling. "_Fuck_," she whispered harshly. "I don't suppose there was any trail left?"

Kenzi sipped her coffee and shook her head. "No," she replied. "But I've been meaning to ask you… Corporal Kershaw thought there may be some old passages being used as escape routes."

"We've swept the castle backwards and forwards," Bo said.

"There're old passageways under the castle, reaching the cemetery and the church," Kenzi started, "that were boarded up before you got to the throne." She swallowed nervously. "I just thought it would be easy to overlook." The Queen smiled and sipped her coffee, looking over her mug at Kenzi who shifted uncomfortably. "Did I say something wrong, my Queen?"

"No, nothing of the sort," she said with a gentle smile. "You're the first Human female that we had in our infantry. Once upon a time I would have scoffed at your inclusion but Lauren assured me you were more than capable of falling in line." She ran a finger around the lip of her mug. "And she was right."

"Lauren usually is," Kenzi said sardonically, sipping her coffee.

"She is…" Bo smiled. "Kenzi, the reason I wanted to talk to you is your accomplishments are many. For such a small Human you have spirit, you aren't afraid. I used to be like you, so comfortable with my Fae that I had not a care in the world. I was unbeatable, but now look at me…"

Kenzi set her mug down. "With all due respect, my Queen, you look the same to me."

"But I am empty without my Fae, I am barren." She sighed.

"Are you kidding? I've seen your moves, and even without that soul sucking thing that you do, you could kick a lot of ass."

Bo looked into her mug, warming her hands with it. "Then why do I feel so… weak?"

"Power comes from within. It's still there."

The smile on the Queen's face matched the softness in her eyes. "I understand why Lauren uses your counsel so often. You are very perceptive."

Kenzi bowed her head. "Thank you."

The elevator dinged and Verns looked up from the magazine he was reading as Dyson marched out of the car. He caught a glimpse of the Queen and Kenzi together and approached them. "My Queen," he said. "May I borrow Kenzi?"

"I think we're done." She smiled at Kenzi. "Thank you. Assemble a team and tell me what you find."

"Yes ma'am." She stood and Dyson pulled her away. Bo could tell he was keeping things from her, as if she couldn't handle them in her weakened state. She couldn't handle the way Dyson looked at her now. Gone was the admiration and stone cold affection and in its place were sad eyes and a look of pity. She was still Queen and she would not be pitied or put out to pasture.

He sent Kenzi away-she could hear the elevator even as he approached her. "May I?" He asked, motioning at the chair Kenzi had just vacated. She nodded, albeit somewhat reluctantly. "I looked after Juno."

Bo sat forward in her chair. "How is she?"

"She's fine, my Queen. I took her out for a short ride…"

She had heard all she needed to and phased out Dyson's voice as she thought of Lauren. She knew Lauren was much too busy to look after her right now so she was grateful to Dyson, however indebted that made her seem to him. "Thank you, Dyson."

He nodded. "Is there anything else I can do for you, your Majesty?"

"No, that'll be all." Bo looked off into the distance, distracted as her thoughts returned to Lauren. She was overwhelmed by her feelings. She felt desperate, needy even, and Bo couldn't recall in all her life, feeling that way about anyone. She missed Lauren horribly when she was gone and when she returned, there was never enough time spent with her. In the beginning of their relationship she felt weaker because of it, but now she was imbued with strength. She felt strong enough to face anything. Kenzi was right. It was time Bo stopped feeling sorry for herself and accepted her fate. She was Human now but so was Lauren. And she would fight like hell for the right to keep her kingdom.

* * *

END PART SEVEN


	8. Chapter 8

"Ease is the enemy of the artist. When things get too easy, you're in trouble."-Chuck Close

* * *

"The idea that a war can be won by standing on the defensive and waiting for the enemy to attack is a dangerous fallacy, which owes its inception to the desire to evade the price of victory."-Douglas Haig

* * *

The storm front moved in early in the week and the rain continued to punish the colony. Muddy footsteps tracked through the lobby and halls of the castle, her court carrying on with their business even as their own Queen secretly remained Human in the penthouse high above them. The squeaking of soggy footsteps in the hallway outside the lab grated on her nerves. There was so much work and nobody else she could trust with the knowledge that helping her would bring. She was alone in this and doubt filled her. Lauren tore her eyes away from the microscope and threw the slide in the garbage. _This was never going to work. _Another dead slide. Another hour wasted. She looked at the clock on the wall and slipped out of her lab coat. Hanging it by the door, she retreated to the penthouse for lunch. The doctor, stoic at best, met Bo in the living room with a forced smile.

"You're back early," Bo said. "Is everything okay?"

Lauren dropped onto the sofa beside Bo and leaned into her side. She sighed. "I don't know anymore."

Bo covered Lauren's hand with her own. "I'm sure it's not such a big thing."

"Bo." She drew in a long breath. "I don't know how to say this…"

She squeezed Lauren's hand. "You can tell me anything."

"This…" She shook her head. "Okay… Bo," she held her breath. "I think I'm in over my head."

"Is this about your Coronation?"

Lauren dropped her gaze to their hands and, chin to chest, she swallowed hard. "I don't think I can give you back your Fae."

Bo's face fell and Lauren squeezed her eyes shut. She couldn't bear to see Bo's despair but when she opened her eyes Bo was smiling at her. "It may seem hopeless now," she patted her hand, "but I know you can do this." Bo's hopeful expression broke her heart. "I believe in you, Lauren."

* * *

Kenzi roamed the halls after Dyson dismissed her from her duties upstairs. She thought of Oren and their brief but important relationship and how she screwed it up. She had witnessed the fear in the Queen's eyes for herself today and knew that was what she must have looked like to Oren when she accidentally broke up with him. She may not have understood what it was like to face mortality after a hundred years of living, but she could certainly relate to the dread of dying alone.

She could hear voices, boisterous laughing and the clanking of dishes, Kenzi was near the pub and, all things considered, she could use a drink. Turning the corner, she arrived at its entrance. Mostly men crowded the room, though there were a few female Fae in the mix. There was an uproar from the back of the room and she cast her gaze upon him then; Oren sat around a table with the other Human refugee soldiers, drinking.

She walked to the bar and ordered a pint, and leaning against the wooden counter, she took her first sip. The cold balance of hops and barley was just what she needed. Kenzi sighed and followed Oren with her eyes until he felt her gawking at him. The smile on his face faded away and he held up his hands to his friends as he got to his feet and crossed the distance between them.

"You shouldn't stare," he said.

She laughed and looked into her beer. "Sorry."

Oren put his foot up on the foot rest against the bar. "What are you doing here?"

Kenzi scoffed. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you got the pub in our break up."

"That's not what I meant," Oren said, looking at his feet. "You just never come here unless you're upset."

She looked at him for a long moment before staring off into the crowd of revelers. "I needed to be around people tonight."

"What's wrong?" She shook her head. "Kenzi, what is it?" He asked again.

"I messed up, Oren," she sighed. "I miss you."

He made a noise. "I knew you'd do this." He turned to leave.

"Wait." She put her hand on his arm. "I wanna be with you."

Oren looked at her. "You blew it, Kenzi."

"So you don't believe in second chances."

He shook his head. "Not if you're just going to leave again. I'd rather drink until sun up with my boys over there than have you stomp out my fire for you again."

She touched his arm again. "Really?"

Oren chuckled. "Kenzi, it's been a week."

She smiled. "So you're not over me?"

"I think about you every morning when I wake up, hoping that I'll see you and every night I fall asleep grateful that I did."

Kenzi's face flushed with emotion and she dropped her pint on the bar, reaching for him. She pressed her lips against his and, gripping his shoulders, she felt safe. He was a steady rock amidst quicksand. Even the chaos made sense in his arms and even if it didn't, she pretended that it did.

His fingers squeezed her waist and he pushed her away and ran a hand through his hair. "That wasn't a come on, Kenzi," he said.

"Oren…"

"I should go." He looked over his shoulder. "My friends are waiting for me."

* * *

The phone in the lab rang. Lauren sighed snapped her latex gloves off her hands and answered by the third ring.

"Lauren? Something's happened. I need you up here," Bo said breathlessly.

Lauren clutched the phone. "What is it? Are you okay? Is Dyson hurt?"

"Please just come quick." The line went dead.

"Shit!" Lauren scooped her keys off the counter, locking the door and heading for the elevators, a brisk walk at first and then she began to run. Her shadow guards ran behind her and barely caught the elevator as she pushed the buttons madly. She tried to catch her breath before the elevator doors opened again because there was no way to tell what awaited her. The car dinged and she charged into the apartment.

Dyson stood at attention by the elevator, but was alarmed by the fear in Lauren's expression. "Where is she?" she breathed.

"Bedroom," Dyson gruffed. "What's wrong?"

She burst into the bedroom to find Bo on the bed. Dyson stopped in the doorway. "What's going on?" Lauren said, swallowing another gasp of air.

Bo looked at Lauren with concern in her eyes. "I was reading and then I got the strangest feeling in my body." She held her hands out in front of her. "It was an electric fizz, like tiny bubbles beneath my skin."

Lauren lifted a stethoscope from the dresser. "Do you still feel it?" Bo shook her head. "What did you do?"

"I ran in here and called you. Then as I was looking in the mirror, it happened."

She held the stethoscope against Bo's chest. "What did?"

"My eyes, they were blue."

Lauren was sure her heart stopped quite literally for three beats and she sucked in a breath. "It's back?"

Bo's smile radiated. "I think so."

* * *

The sudden return of Bo's Fae powers should have been expected, considering the first version of the serum. Lauren had been sure the inclusion of organic samples would have made the serum work permanently, but she had been wrong. She had hoped that it wouldn't come to an individualized dose based on the recipient's DNA which added weeks or months to the production time. Not to mention the added hurdle of obtaining a sample in the first place, but none of that mattered in the long run. Lauren would be destroying the only dose of the serum and taking her research to be sealed away in a safe far below the castle's foundation. Her pride wasn't worth the heartache of reliving the last few days over again.

From the large four poster bed, Lauren stared through the ensuite bathroom door, propping her head up with a hand. The curves of Bo's body that appeared and disappeared through the open door were still enticing, even after spending most of the afternoon in bed together. The Queen called it a celebration, ushering Lauren to the heights of arousal three times before retreating to the shower.

Bo walked out of the bathroom, drying her long hair with a towel, a cloud of steam following her naked body. She smiled brilliantly as she arrived at the closet door.

"Feeling better?" Lauren asked, stretching her legs under the blankets.

"Much," Bo replied with a smile, fastening a bra around her body and pulling some clothes from the hangers. She turned then and looked at Lauren, reclining in the bed, her hair a disheveled mess that just made her all the more attractive. The Queen moved to the bed, unable to resist. She knelt on the mattress and leaned over Lauren, kissing her softly, but not without purpose. "I'm sorry," she whispered, sitting up again.

Lauren frowned and sat up as well. "Sorry for what?"

"For going out."

Lauren held up a hand. "Please, you haven't fed for days," she said with a strained smile. "I understand."

The Queen's smile was arresting. "I think being followed around by this guard detail might cramp my style, though." Lauren smirked and looked at her lap. Bo tucked some hair behind Lauren's ear and stroked her cheek with the back of her fingers. "I have never, in all my years, ever met a Human as remarkable as you," she said, her eyes holding Lauren's captive.

Lauren blinked, trying to control the tightness in her chest. "But I didn't do anything," she said and Bo leaned forward again, her lips warm again Lauren's.

"Nonsense." Bo smiled. "You did everything."

* * *

Thunder rumbled through the penthouse. Lauren crossed her arms and looked out over the castle grounds and the lights of the city below. The rain still pounded the glass in front of her, the lightning illuminating her as it flashed in time. She breathed in, her eyes closing, and released it again. She was relieved, but didn't get the warmest feeling from the fact it was because she had failed.

"Never thought I'd be so glad that you suck at your job, Doc." Kenzi's voice was muffled by the fridge as she rummaged around until she pulled out a fruit tray.

"I don't- Science is often unpredictable despite the every precaution taken- Nevermind." She sighed and turned toward the kitchen. "That was close, Kenz. So close."

Lauren sat at the island in the kitchen and picked a strawberry from the tray. Kenzi chewed thoughtfully on a grape. "Tell me about it. Where is the reborn Queen, anyway?"

"She's…" Lauren swallowed and paused to gather her words. "Out… you know, for dinner."

Kenzi frowned until the words registered in her head. "Oh… right." She popped another grape in her mouth. "So, um… how is she now that she's seen the other side?"

Lauren smirked. "Appreciative."

"So can we expect a kinder, gentler Queen in the future?"

"She is still Bo."

"And thank dog for that!" Kenzi spun around on the stool. "Frankly, I'm happy for you, Doc. You've made a good life for yourself."

Lauren nodded self-consciously. "Yeah, it's good." A hush settled over her and she pulled a piece of pineapple from the tray. "How about you?"

Kenzi tapped her fingers on the countertop. "Oren is playing hard to get with his heart, but I'm confident I can convince him to take me back."

"He didn't welcome you back with open arms, huh?"

"Not exactly." Kenzi's bravado shrank to infinitesimal proportions and her fear stood up to be counted.

Lauren slid off the stool and walked over to her friend. "He loves you, Kenz," she said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "He'd be hurting himself as much as you to deny you back in his life."

Kenzi sighed. "He's stubborn."

"Just let go; trust him," she said, moving to the cabinets on the far wall. She picked two mugs from the shelf and lined them up on the counter.

"I do," Kenzi said. "I mean, I only trust you more."

Lauren laughed and filled their mugs from the carafe on the island. "It's time to take off the training wheels, Kenzi."

"I beg your pardon, I'm a big girl."

Lauren passed Kenzi a mug. "Then have the courage to love him back," she said. "Don't let him pass you by-don't cheat yourself like that."

Kenzi smirked as Lauren sipped the coffee. "Never thought I'd be taking relationship advice from the same woman who thought hooking up with Violette was a good idea."

"That's in the past," she said, pointing at the young woman.

"Well, you definitely upgraded, Doc." Lauren rolled her eyes. "I'm serious, Bo really seems like she treats you well."

"She does." Lauren nodded. "I'm very happy."

"I want that," Kenzi said, reaching for a strawberry. "Why can't I let myself have that?"

"It's a leap of faith, you have to commit or fall flat on your face."

"Or both in my case."

Lauren sipped her coffee. "Now it feels like you're just being difficult."

"Says she, resisting her own Coronation," Kenzi mocked.

"That's different and you know it."

Kenzi put her hands up in surrender. "All right, but don't you think you should talk to Bo?"

"I am. I mean, I will." Lauren sighed. "There just hasn't been a good time with the Vex and Evony situation."

"Mm-hmm," Kenzi smirked around the fruit in her mouth. "Famous last words."

* * *

"Vex!" Evony's voice rippled through the darkened room. She sat in an ancient chair, broken and dusty from the years forgotten. There were a few torches lit, hanging in iron brackets on the wall, giving a slightly more ominous atmosphere than her headquarters in the Outlands.

"You rang?" Vex hung into the doorway with one hand on the molding. He swung around and began tightrope walking up the aisle towards her.

Evony crossed her arms. "Where is that thief?" she demanded. "How long do I have to wait to see this plan through?"

"Calm your tits, she'll be here." Vex stood before Evony. "You have absolutely no patience, love."

Evony's jaw clenched. "I have been imprisoned, assaulted, and humiliated, all at the hands of this succubus and her human harem." She grabbed a book from the pile next to her and threw it at the wall. "_I need revenge_."

Vex held his hands up. "Easy, Queenie," he said. "Why don't you pass the time with this little human?" He gestured at the second missing guard, Elliot, shackled to the legs of a massive wooden throne.

Evony looked over at the transfer who'd only just arrived at the castle days before her abduction. The smile that crawled across Evony's face frightened most, but Vex knew what she was going to do and he clapped his hands together.

"You're right," she agreed, turning her attention to Elliot. "I do have something to do until that street urchin arrives." She smiled at the soldier predatorily. "And when she does, our Human Queen will discover the true cost of love."

* * *

END PART EIGHT


	9. Chapter 9

"Never let an old flame burn you twice" -Unknown

* * *

"A second chance doesn't mean anything if you haven't learned from your first mistake."-Unknown

* * *

A knock sounded in the dark. Bo groaned into her pillow, stirring beside Lauren. After her Fae returned, Bo spent the evening out, catching up on some much needed feeding. She rolled over and checked the clock: four a.m. When the knock sounded again, Bo was quick to answer.

"What is it?" she snapped.

"My Queen, the thief is back and is asking for sanctuary." Dyson's voice was muffled through the bedroom door.

Bo made a noise. "You want to handle this one?" Bo said almost miserably.

Lauren rolled onto her back and rubbed her face. "Yeah," she nodded, then realized Bo couldn't see her in the dark and spoke again. "I'll deal with her." With more than a little effort, Lauren got to her feet and stood naked before the dresser. Bo watched her as she pulled a pair of jeans from a drawer and climbed into them. Her gaze was heavy and if Lauren didn't already know Bo's Fae had returned, she would have been able to feel its weight when her eyes settled upon her. She pulled a sweater over her head and looked up at the skylight, the star shine illuminating her face. "I love you, Bo."

As important as it was for her to say that then, in that moment it was more important for Bo to hear the words. The mattress creaked and the soft squash of carpet announced the nude Succubus' arrival at her side. She reached a lithe arm between them and cradled Lauren's cheek in her hand. Closing her eyes, Lauren leaned into Bo's caress.

"Maybe later we can spend some time together?" Bo pulled Lauren's waist against her own. "It's just been so crazy and I miss you."

Lauren hummed at the nearness of Bo. "I'd like that."

"I'll tell the chef to make a special meal for us."

She smiled. Things were different between them since the serum debacle and now Violette was poised to cause trouble between them again. She wondered when the string of mishaps and mayhem would end? "I should go," she whispered, not wanting to interrupt the intimacy.

Bo reached for the kimono she had discarded before bed. "I'll walk you out." She cinched the kimono as they walked towards the door. When Lauren opened the door to reveal Dyson standing beside Violette, who was sitting on her sofa, Bo was immediately incensed. "You brought this thief into our home? Where is your head?"

Dyson was caught off guard. "I just thought-"

"That we had an extra room?" Bo interrupted. "Protocol says visitors wait at the gates."

"Yes, my Queen." Dyson stood, his hands clasped in front of him. "What would you have me do now?"

"Stand down and stay out of my way," she said through gritted teeth. She cocked her head at Violette. "You must be loving this."

The smuggler was quick to shake her head. "No, my Queen."

"Do not pretend your allegiance lies with me." Her expression was hard, her voice stern.

"But, my Queen-"

"Say it again and I will tear your throat out as you sit there." Her eyes flared and Violette swallowed uncomfortably.

"Bo." A calming hand caressed her shoulder.

The Queen's eyes blinked a few times and she took a breath. "I'm sorry, I can be a little cranky when my beauty sleep is interrupted."

Lauren stepped forward. "Let's go for a walk, Violette."

She looked from Bo to Lauren and back again before Bo smiled. "Please." She motioned towards Lauren who nodded as she stood. She pushed the button and the elevator doors opened. The blonde ushered the other woman into the car.

"Why are you really here, Violette?" Lauren asked in the silence of the elevator as they dropped, floor by floor, to the main concourse.

"I've come to ask for sanctuary," she said, her voice soft. "I find myself in a bit of a situation and I thought you may be able to help."

Lauren sighed. "Who have you pissed off this time?"

"It's not important."

She cleared her throat as the elevator doors opened to the main floor. Lauren turned to Violette. "If you want me to let you stay here, I have to know what you have done." She took a few steps out of the elevator and looked over her shoulder until Violette followed.

"The past has come back to haunt me, Cherie."

Lauren froze, her eyes wide. "Jericho."

She nodded solemnly and motioned for Lauren to keep walking. "Once the war ended, I let down my guard, stopped backtracking. He found me. I've been working for him to repay my debt until last week when he would no longer accept the terms of our deal."

"What did he ask for instead?" Lauren prompted, turning into the garden's colonnade.

"Me."

Lauren stopped short, a chill ran through her and she shivered. The rain had let up, but the breeze was cool and water still ran from the roof tiles. "What did you do?"

"I ran." Violette looked up at the cloudy sky. It looked like it could pour again at any second. "I thought I could make it right, but that was never his intention."

"What's your plan?"

Violette shrugged. "I don't know. I see what you have here and I want that for myself, too. Cherie, could you find it in your heart to let me stay?"

Lauren began to walk back again, mulling the details over as her heels click-clacked against the floor tiles. When they arrived back at the elevator, Lauren hit the call button and sighed. "We should be able to arrange something."

Violette smiled. "I knew I could count on you, Cherie."

* * *

"So you moved her into the tower?" Bo's expression from her throne was one of confusion and disbelief.

Lauren sat on the steps leading up to the throne, her back to the Queen. "Bo, you don't understand." She twisted around, looking at Bo. "Jericho is a sadistic and diabolical criminal. He will take what he wants if she doesn't cooperate."

Bo took a deep breath. "This, Jericho? He's someone you've had dealings with?"

"For a time," Lauren admitted. "He trafficked in many rare and hard to find medical supplies during the war. Doing business with him was a necessary evil to save lives."

"But he's not after you…"

"No…"

"So why make this your problem now, Lauren?"

Lauren sighed and shook her head, looking up at Bo apologetically. "Even scoundrels deserve a favor every now and then."

* * *

The hollow clang of the old latch alerted Bo of her visitor and she looked down the long hall to the wooden doors. One of her two guards that flanked her throne started the walk down to the door until the figure stepped through.

Dyson stood inside the door, glancing at the guard who stopped advancing, but didn't retreat. "You wanted to see me, my Queen?"

Bo waved him on, straightening on her throne as he approached. "Thank you for coming," she said.

Dyson knelt down and bowed his head. "I am at your disposal, your Majesty."

She nodded. "The Coronation is upon us," she said. "And my castle is now home to a known fox and two prisoners that apparently cannot be found."

"I would be happy to locate them for you, my Queen."

"That won't be necessary," Bo shook her head. "Kenzi and Corporal Kershaw have the search well in hand."

Dyson frowned. "Then what would you have me do?"

Bo leaned forward on her knees. "I need you to make sure the Coronation plans are on course. With this breech, I need to make sure the castle is secure and that nothing beyond our… identified challenges will stand in the way."

"I understand," he said. "And the Fox?"

Bo smirked at him. "Please leave her to me."

"Forgive me, my Queen," Dyson said. "But I don't understand why she's been given sanctuary."

"Feeling persecuted, General?"

Dyson lowered his eyes. "No, my Queen."

"I stand behind Lauren's decision because her heart is in the right place," Bo said simply. "And if anyone has any issue with that, I would pleased to discuss it with them."

"As you wish," Dyson said, getting to his feet.

"The second thing, Dyson." He looked up at the Queen and her eyes had softened. Still with the familiar fire behind them, there was another element to her gaze now. Her instructions were always very clear and very concise, delivered with a cold, hard stare. But this time there was something more. She was scared.

"Yes, my Queen?"

"You were there," she said. "At my Coronation. You swore to protect me and my kingdom with every ability you could command. That you would take a take a sword before allowing the monarchy to fall."

The General nodded. "I remember."

Bo looked up at him. "I need you to protect Lauren the way you would protect me. At least until the Coronation." She sighed. "With everything going on, if anything happened to her, Dyson…"

Dyson sighed and closed his eyes. "My Queen," he said, his voice rumbled in his chest. He placed his fist over his heart. "My fealty is owed to you. I will do as you ask." He bowed then and turned, marching to the end of the hall and out the door without another word.

Bo slumped back into her throne. She had a new lease on her Fae and despite the Vex and Evony situation, things were going as well as could be expected. The Coronation was coming together despite her recent neglect. Lauren was, well, amazing and if she could just shake the dread she felt when faced with Violette, things would be fantastic.

* * *

She knocked on the door, there was the shuffling of newspaper before the door opened. Violette stood in the doorway wearing a terry cloth robe and clutching the day's newspaper folded under her arm. "Lauren," she smiled. "Is it that time already?"

Lauren had made plans with Violette earlier that morning when she ushered Vi into her room. They were to visit Lauren's lab and tour of the castle and grounds together but Violette was clearly on her own time schedule. "I can come back later," Lauren motioned.

"Don't be ridiculous. It will take me no time at all to get ready. Come in, have a cup of coffee."

Inside, the bed was already unmade, the contents of Violette's satchel spilled onto the floor and a trail of clothing peppered the way to the bathroom. She was still an unapologetic slob, Lauren thought, but that was just another part of her that couldn't be tamed, she romanticized. Violette lifted a carafe from the side table and poured a cup for Lauren who received it gratefully after such an early start to the day. Lauren watched as she gathered her clothes and sipped the coffee thoughtfully.

"Did you sleep?" Lauren asked, more to be polite than anything.

"Mmm, I did. Though the bed is much larger than what I'm used to. I'm sure you remember…"

"How could I forget?" Lauren's monotone response signaled she was in no mood for a trip down memory lane.

"Remember that damned Ford Fiesta?" Violette said from the bathroom. "We had some good times…"

"Vi…" She warned.

"C'mon," she said, walking back into the bedroom. "Remembering isn't a crime. Hell, it isn't even cheating."

Lauren sighed and rolled her eyes. "Some things are best left in the past."

"What a hollow way to live, Cherie."

"_Please_ stop calling me that," Lauren said forcefully.

Violette paused only momentarily before bouncing onto her bed. "Dare I say, there may be room enough for you _and _your succubus in this bed."

Lauren did not see the humor, setting her cup aside and making a beeline for the door. "I'll come back later."

Violette's tongue clicked. "What happened to your sense of humor, precious?"

_Ugh._ "I guess I just don't find your brand of humor funny anymore."

"Lauren," she said and Lauren stopped her in her tracks, hand on the doorknob. Violette stood at the end of the bed and dropped her robe, her beautifully fair skin on brazen display. "Just once for old times sake?"

Lauren's eyes dropped and she turned back toward the door quickly. She found the crack under the door, wishing she could slip through it and forget this had ever happened. "Put your clothes on, Violette," she said to the carpet.

And then it happened. Her hand smoothed over Lauren's back. Her breath blew in her ear. "You won't even look at me?" Lauren sighed, her eyes closed. There was no getting around this with her back turned on Violette and so she spun around swiftly and was confronted by her nude form. "Don't leave, Lauren," she said desperately. "Can't we make up for lost time?"

"Our time was over three years ago."

"Maybe you're right, but coming here and seeing you… it's brought up all of these feelings."

Lauren's eyes meandered down Violette's body. "Feelings you can't feel with your clothes on?"

Violette inched forward, pressing her breasts into Lauren's chest. "Well, I'd rather not…"

Lauren was slowly being worn down by her relentless pursuit of sex. Violette was bold, unabashed, unprincipled, and, most importantly nude and they were in a room with a bed for a centerpiece. The odds were not stacked in Lauren's favor, but still she rallied with her feelings for Bo and their life together. She wasn't the least bit interested in going back to the way things were with Violette and she certainly wasn't looking to make a new life with her either and it fed her impetus to continue to fight off Violette's advances.

Violette was a Reynard, a trickster Fae, skilled at manipulations and well suited for her trade. But right now she was working on sheer desperation, her hand running the length of her bare stomach and clutching at one of her own breasts. "I won't tell her." She leaned in to kiss Lauren, who turned her head. Not missing a beat, Violette began to kiss her throat. "Nobody has to know…" Violette fingered the collar of her jacket.

Just then a knock came at the door. Lauren exhaled the ten breaths she had been holding and took a step forward, wrenching open the door behind her. Violette stumbled backwards as Lauren slipped out of the room, Kenzi peering over her shoulder at Violette's nude form before the door closed behind her.

Shock and awe was written all over Kenzi's face. "What the shit was that?"

"Nothing." Lauren turned and started walking.

"Hey!" Kenzi called, jogging after her. "Hey, hold up. Is everything okay between you and Bo?"

"This has nothing to do with Bo."

"If you say so."

Lauren grabbed Kenzi's arm firmly and held her still in the hall. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Kenzi pulled her arm away and straightened her jacket. "I'm just saying, if Bo saw what I just saw, she'd make it her business."

"Please don't say anything, Kenzi."

"Doc, how many times have I told you, I've got your back."

She sighed and continued down the hall. "Thanks."

"Is there anything I can do?" Kenzi pushed the elevator button.

"Chaperone?" She chuckled.

"I can do that."

"No, Kenzi." She shook her head. "It's fine. She's just coming on a little strong."

"A little strong?" Kenzi laughed. "Because I've seen rutting gorillas that have more subtle moves than that, Doc. You've gotta nip this one in the bud, if you know what I mean," Kenzi said decisively.

"I have," Lauren replied, hitting the button for the penthouse. "I've said no, repeatedly."

Kenzi raised her eyebrows. "Well… then it's time your friend put her foot somewhere entirely different."

* * *

She knocked five times. The number was significant because the angrier Kenzi was, the more she knocked. And five times was pretty damn angry. It felt like an eternity before the door finally creaked open, Violette squinting at her through the crack.

Kenzi tilted her head at the sight of Violette in the terry cloth robe. "Not getting dressed today or are you waiting for Dr. Lewis to come back?"

Violette made a face. "What do you know about it, Ragamuffin?"

"Well," Kenzi pushed her way inside the room. "After you flashed me earlier, I asked Lauren about you. She had a lot to say." Kenzi narrowed her eyes.

"I imagine she did. I leave a lasting impression." She smirked. "Care to find out?"

"Lady, I'll wipe the croissant right off your face."

Violette laughed heartily, "Oh, Kenzi," she purred. "I've missed you."

"Lauren told me why you're here and it got me thinking. Someone threatens you sexually so you come here and push yourself on the one person who went to bat for you?" Kenzi tsked. "I knew you were a scoundrel but this is low even for you."

"Is she happy here?" Violette asked, crossing her arms. "A plaything for the Queen."

"Even if I told you that she was the happiest I've ever seen her with the Queen, would it matter to you?"

Violette scoffed, waving her hand. "Of course, it would. I'm not a complete asshole. I care for her, even now."

"If you cared, you wouldn't be here again. You'd figure out your own shit and stay away from her."

"I didn't know where else to turn."

"I'm not a complete asshole," she echoed. "But I don't believe a word you've said." She patted her on the shoulder. "See you around, Vi."

* * *

END PART NINE


	10. Chapter 10

"Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone - we find it with another."-Thomas Merton

* * *

"Well, I don't care," said Bird out loud, said Bird, who cared so much that she couldn't bear to touch the hurt. "I don't care. I ran away from Summer, and I will make my own castle. I will be my own queen."― Katherine Catmull

* * *

The Queen had slipped away mid-day. Lauren was working in her lab and Bo's work was nearly done. She breezed through the hallways of her castle with two guards in tow. The irony was Bo would probably end up protecting them if something were to happen. The Dark Queen's battle exploits were known throughout the kingdom and only the foolish or crazy-she counted Vex and Evony among both these groups-would attempt an attack on her.

She knocked on the door, authoritative but non-threatening and when the door cracked open a few minutes later, Violette sucked in a breath at the sight of Bo on her doorstep.

"Can I come in?" she asked, not waiting for an answer. She pushed the door open, leaving her entourage outside, and walked past the other woman to the bed that filled the room.

Violette hopped after her, wringing her hands. "Is there a problem?"

Bo took in the cluttered surroundings and looked over her shoulder at the fox. "That depends on what your definition of problem is," she said and gestured to the bag on the floor, overflowing with clothes. "Like what you've done to the place, by the way."

"I think I know why you're here." Violette glanced at the nightstand and back to the Queen.

Bo raised her eyebrows. "You do? Enlighten me."

Violette dared to smirk and shrugged shyly. "You have to respect me for trying…" She trailed a hand along the back of the Empire chair that faced a small coffee table just off center of the room. "She's a beautiful creature."

The Queen narrowed her eyes. "You need to let her go, you had your shot."

She nodded. "I think I love her, surely you can understand that?"

"That's the difference between you and me. I _know_ that I love her."

Violette watched Bo start to move around the room. "And you don't even know what you have," she said, "keeping her locked in your glass castle. A prison is a prison, no matter how pretty the surroundings."

Bo looked up at a painting of the castle from long ago. "You seem to know a lot about prison, why is that?"

"Oh, you know, occupational hazard." Violette smiled as Bo moved around behind her. "But I hear Lauren knows a thing or two about dungeons, too."

She nodded behind Violette's back. "Where did you hear that?"

"There is little gossip I have not heard."

Bo leaned forward, her lips close to Violette's ear. "Then you probably know that you shouldn't believe all that you hear," she said, continuing to the only window in the room.

A breath escaped Violette while the Queen's back was turned. "So you didn't keep her in your dungeon for months on end until she convinced you that she loved you?"

"She didn't have to convince me," Bo said to the window.

"I must admit I thought it a strange way to fall in love."

Bo turned around and leaned against the mahogany desk. "When something is meant to be, it will happen."

Violette chuckled. "You seem so sure of that. I always thought a Queen would be more confident about her lovers. Relying on luck or destiny or whatever you want to call it instead of a real connection seems rather desperate."

Bo crossed her arms over her chest. "And I always thought a guest begging the Queen's sanctuary would be a bit more careful about insulting her." She could see her pause then as realization took hold.

"For disrespecting you, I'm sorry but I will never be sorry for loving her."

"Then get wise to this: If you hurt her, I will take every pleasure in hurting you." Bo pushed off the desk and moved into Violette's space, inches away. Her eyes flashed blue and the Queen stole a drag of her chi and her very breath. Just a taste, to judge her intentions. When she took a step back, she smiled disingenuously. "I'm glad we had this talk," she said, her hand squeezing Violette's shoulder. "Touch Lauren again and I'll kill you."

She wished she could have waited to see the reaction on her face, but she brushed past Violette to the door. Hand on the knob, Bo turned to face the smuggler who still stood, shell-shocked and hanging on to the back of the chair and she smiled, satisfied. Bo threw open the door and busted out into the hallway outside the room. She paused, suddenly out of breath, and she waved off the concerned guards. Bo was no stranger to the taste of the despicable and untrustworthy, they were how she fed, after all, but something about Violette's fauna imprinted onto Bo. The Fox. A trickster that was after Bo's one shot at true love. And she let her stay in the goddamn henhouse.

"Shit."

The Queen turned purposely and strode through the halls, passing through the Conservatory on her way to the back exit. She steamrolled her way across the field towards the stables, the guards behind her almost at a jog to keep up with her. When she charged past the guard at the stable doors, he jumped out of his seat and stood at attention. She found her prize mare, Juno, in her stall, resting.

Bo clicked her tongue and the mare stood at attention, too. She picked up the large brush from the corner and began to comb her, her tail swishing back and forth. The wood handle was heavy in her hands and the silence rang in her ears, just the bristling of hay beneath her boots and the coarse scratch of the brush against Juno's coat were the all that was important in that moment.

Once she strapped the saddle to the mare's back and led her out onto the field, however, Bo's mind was full again. Of doubts, of regrets, of an overpowering love that she would fight to the death for. Climbing atop Juno, Bo was a wrecking ball, bombing through the field and into the small thicket of trees. By the time her detail realized she'd left, she was half a mile away. They scrambled on to a couple horses and took off after her. Bo charged through the outcropping, branches whipping them as they passed. It was no accident, she knew the route well and this was all part of the self-flagellation that Bo enjoyed when her thoughts were too loud. She rode the circuit of the castle grounds, a long, sometimes wet and muddy trip through forest and marshy grass. The storms made for a ride so messy, she returned to the stables spattered and soggy. Lauren approached from the field and smiled at the sight of the Queen and Juno, jogging down the incline to meet them halfway.

"You're a sight for sore eyes." Lauren's lopsided smile sucker punched Bo. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

"I needed to blow off some steam," she said reaching out for Lauren's face from atop the horse. "I'm glad you found me."

Lauren covered the Queen's dirty hand on her cheek and searched her face. "Are you okay?"

Bo blinked, her expression sad. "No, I don't think I am."

"Come down from there," she said, waving her down. "We'll go inside, get cleaned up, the chef has made us a special meal as you asked. We'll have a nice evening together."

Bo threw her leg over and jumped down. She was covered in muddy splatter, grass and leaves stuck to her arms and legs. Lauren raised her hand and called the stable boy over to take Juno.

"See that she is bathed." The teen nodded in the affirmative and took the reins from Bo. They watched the proud mare follow the stable boy and turned when they heard a storm of hooves approach. The Queen's detail finally reemerged muddy and weary from the long ride.

"Thank you, gentlemen," Bo waved at them before turning towards the castle. "I'll take it from here."

Lauren's hand fit into Bo's like a missing piece of a puzzle, snug and incomparable, and Bo squeezed it. They were moons, orbiting a planet, chasing one another across the solar system but never catching the other. At least that's how life was playing out recently. Until now Bo was the most self-assured piece of their relationship. Now, she wallowed in the knowledge that someone had loved Lauren, a despicable and loathsome character at that, and Bo began to question destiny-the one thing she had pinned all her hopes and dreams to her entire life. The sun was setting and the dull ache of hunger settled into her belly. Lauren pulled her through the main floor and into the Queen's elevator. Bo moved closer as the car began to ascend. Turning in her arms, Lauren smiled sympathetically at Bo's weariness. She squeezed Bo's arm and kissed her tenderly. But tenderness quickly gave way to reckless abandon, unraveling as Bo kissed her insistently, pulling her along as she staggered backwards, her back slamming into the wood paneling of the elevator car.

She grunted, her outstretched hand swung forth and pounded the emergency stop button. The elevator car dipped and shuddered to a stop. In the silence that followed, Bo could hear Lauren's heart pounding, she could feel her love in every thump against her chest as she pressed into her and she began to understand all the ways that Lauren loved her. Her breath came in short bursts as their eyes met. Their connection was undeniable, like coming home after a long journey. Bo needed little motivation to pull Lauren by the waist to the back of the car where she settled onto the velvet upholstered bench. Hands on her hips, she pulled Lauren to stand in front of her and reached for the buttons on her shirt, three of which were about all Bo could handle before the need was overwhelming. She pressed her lips against Lauren's navel and all thought ceased as she inhaled the scent of her skin, lavender and honey and spiced vanilla. It was a heady mixture to be sure and she was bewitched by Lauren. The soft sounds escaping from her mouth as Bo kissed a path along her hip were maddening. It would be so easy to imagine Violette having sex with her, touching her, loving her. She blinked and pulled away.

"What is it?" Lauren asked.

Bo shook her head. "Nothing." And she meant it. That criminal meant nothing to Lauren, Bo told herself. As she freed the last button, Bo pushed the shirt from Lauren's shoulders and watched it fall to the floor of the elevator like a wisp of truth. She looked up at Lauren who cradled her face with the palms of her hands. This was all that mattered, the warmth of her skin on Bo's face, the light in her eyes as she gazed down at her. This fragile thing they had built together was quickly becoming a fortress and no woman nor fox was going to come between them. Not now, not ever.

Lauren leaned forward and captured her lips in a scorching kiss. It was a reclamation of everything Bo had doubted, an exploration of remorse and intention. Pulling her closer, the leather of Bo's jacket creaked as she reached for her. Bo's fingers worked the button of her pants and stripped the tight-fitting jeans from Lauren's legs, tossing them to the side.

Lauren's flawless complexion was rosy and she was out of breath from their kisses. Her hands smoothed up Lauren's thighs, her fingers crooked around the waistband of her panties and tugged them over her hips. She drew in a breath, long and slow, as Lauren held hers. Bo's eyes burned as her gaze washed over the blonde, from beauty, from desire.

She stood bare before the Queen and there was a boldness about her now. Bo had watched Lauren's transformation from her throne, her bed, and her court. She was a spectacular Human specimen at her core and a fantastic lover to be able to keep up with her. Lauren's expertise as a doctor had only helped the colony and Bo was indebted to her for many things not the least of which was the confidence to be able to say her subjects were getting the care they needed. There was so much to her. Nothing like those that came before her, Lauren was a bona fide treasure.

Her hands were on Bo's shoulders as she climbed onto Bo's lap, straddling her. This beautiful creature was hers, wanton and unapologetic. Her hands were in Bo's hair, her breath against Bo's cheek. Gripping her hips, the Queen's eyes navigated the scapes of her form, bared and beautiful.

Lauren tilted her chin up and stole a kiss. It was a slow and sweet exchange, the kind that made Bo restless with need. She moved her hands to Lauren's thighs and squeezed. The wickedness in her grin then was like a lightning rod to the storm of her desire and Bo lurched forward and captured her mouth once again.

Her fingers ran through Bo's hair as they kissed and it was startling how relaxed Lauren made her, even in the midst of passion. And so what started as a frantic need to prove something, became a tender act of love. She cradled Bo's face against her neck, holding her there for a long moment before Bo retreated to her bosom. Awash in her pale skin, the Queen took her into her mouth and Lauren gasped.

She braced herself on Bo's leather-covered shoulders as Bo's hands snaked up her back. The elevator hung fifteen floors from the hustle and bustle of the ground floor and they were sequestered away in a little metal box. The silence was deafening-just the sound of their breathing-so when a moan escaped Lauren, it sounded like a proclamation from on high, echoing off the walls of the grand canyon. And when Bo reached between her legs, the strains of her pleasure could be felt ringing in their ears.

She was proudly on display for the Queen, hair flawless, tousling around her shoulders as her mouth formed O's. There was so much perfection that Bo hadn't even had a chance to get used to yet and maybe she never would. Her hand moved between Lauren's legs and her hips jumped. Bo touched her with purpose, enticing her and drawing her out. To be touched by a succubus was to be touched by a master of a lost art. The things she could bring about in her partners was unmatched by any conceivable notion of sex.

Her hands squeezed Bo's shoulders as she tipped her head back. The arc of her body in the low light sent shockwaves through Bo and her mouth covered Lauren's throat, nipping at the skin with her teeth before soothing it with her tongue. Bo's fingers dipped into her and Lauren embraced her ardently, hugging Bo against her breasts.

Bo's hips jumped and as her hand found Lauren's rhythm, her hips began to undulate watching the revolution of Lauren's. Her thumb swiped over Lauren eliciting a gasp. Bo smiled, Lauren was close. Bo knew this because she knew every noise in her arsenal and every expression in her cache.

Pushing aside her own need, bottling it up and preserving it for the next time, Bo pressed forward, driving deeper into Lauren whose grip tightened around Bo's back, holding on as she began to let the rest go. "Bo," she gasped and she kissed Lauren then, tasting her desire. There were many ways to feed and when Bo was with Lauren she absorbed the pleasure that she brought about in her.

Lauren tensed, the muscles in her back growing taut as she began to let go. Her body shook and she called out for Bo once again. When Bo withdrew her hand, Lauren slumped against her. Bo held her like a precious gift, gathered up in her arms, hearts beating against one another. This was a succubus in love: caring little about her own pleasure and deferring to her lover. She was the Queen and she could have anyone, but she chose Lauren. And when she had to feed from others it was a joyless and empty experience. Long ago it was exciting, there was even a hunt but now everything seemed meaningless when compared to her new life with Lauren.

She kissed her forehead and Lauren's eyes fluttered open. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as Bo leaned her head back against the wood paneling. Lauren shook her head. "Dinner's going to be cold."

"We can reheat it." She kissed Lauren who reached for the hem of Bo's top. Stilling her hands, Bo smiled. "It's okay." She released her hands.

Lauren paused, confused. "Is everything all right?"

"Yeah, I'm just…" Bo shook her head. "I'm fine. Better than fine." She kissed her again. Lauren lowered her feet to the floor again and stood, gathering her clothing efficiently. When she was dressed she hit the emergency stop button again and the elevator came to life. Bo remained on the bench, drinking her in.

She turned to face Bo. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm just tired," Bo said. "Big day and all of that." Lauren looked her over, muddy and wearied. "C'mere." An outstretched hand beckoned the doctor into Bo's embrace again. "I love you," she said with conviction.

The elevator slowed to a stop. She smiled. "I-" The elevator doors opened and Lauren froze in place. The entire Queen's guard stood in front of them with their weapons drawn.

"Stand down!" Bo called from the bench, not wanting to incite panic fire with any sudden movements.

When the weapons had been holstered, they emerged from the elevator car to find Kenzi accusing Verns of overreacting and that she _told him_ they weren't in any danger. The soldiers milled about the dining room and in front of the elevator aimlessly. Bo pushed past them and made a beeline for their bedroom.

Lauren followed her with her eyes as she spoke. "Thanks for your concern but as you can see the Queen is fine. Now will you please vacate the Queen's quarters. That'll be all for today."

"You heard the woman, shoo!" Kenzi hollered at the other soldiers. The elevator door opened and they filed into the car. She looked at Lauren. "Go on without me, boys." As the elevator door slid shut Kenzi exclaimed: "What is going on with you two?!"

Lauren looked at the closed bedroom door. "Keep it down," she hushed her. She sighed. "I don't know anymore."

Kenzi paced in the foyer. "Tell me you still love her."

"Yes," Lauren said defensively. Looking the way of the bedroom again, Lauren pulled Kenzi into the living room. "_Of course_."

"Does she know about the naked fox?"

"Not unless you told her," she said contemptuously.

Kenzi frowned and wandered into the kitchen. "Why would I tell her?"

Lauren rolled her eyes as Kenzi brushed past. "I don't know, Kenzi. Why would I tell her?"

"Because honesty is the most important thing in a relationship?" She opened the fridge and stuck her head inside.

"Easy for you to say."

Kenzi straightened quickly and shook her head, pointing at Lauren with a plate of brownies. "Don't do that."

"Do what?" Lauren watched her drop the plate on the countertop.

"Pretend that you're above lying."

Lauren frowned. "Did I do something to you?"

"Look Doc," Kenzi said around the brownie in her mouth. "All I'm saying is Bo deserves the chance to overreact. You never know, she might shrug it off and you will have worried for no good reason."

"Well, I thank you for your input, Kenzi but if you'll excuse me, I need to get ready for dinner and quite frankly I'm not letting Violette ruin what could be a lovely evening."

Kenzi shrugged and grabbed a few more brownies before returning the plate to the fridge. "Suit yourself." She walked to the elevator and pushed the button. "Your dinners are on the counter. The chef brought them up an hour ago."

"See you in the morning, Kenz," she said with a wave as she walked to the bedroom.

* * *

She left the penthouse, tired and weary from a day on duty. It's not like it was particularly hard work spending time with Lauren or even Bo, but her mind was working overdrive on another problem. The Oren conundrum as she so lovingly referred to it in the confines of her head. Lauren was right, _as usual, _and it had started with missing him and with missing Oren came a deeper understanding of what she needed, what she _wanted_, and in that knowledge was a kernel of love as near as she could figure. She had no idea what to do with it, but playing hot potato with it wasn't getting her anywhere fast. It was time to plant the seed.

She knocked on his door for ten minutes and when she was satisfied that he was still on duty, she leaned against the wall and slowly sunk to the floor beside the door frame. She pulled her knees to her chest and laid her head down then, letting her eyes close-just for a few moments-but that was all it took for sweet slumber to mesmerize her.

"Kenzi?" His voice was close as she began to rouse. His hand gently shook her shoulder.

She smiled at the sight of him. "Hey."

"What are you doing? You can't just nap in the hallway with Vex and Evony on the loose." She didn't need to be reminded why as she remembered all too well, the soldier face down in the mud and another still missing.

She rubbed her face. "I closed my eyes for a minute-what time is it?"

"Ten-thirty," his voice was smooth and calming, If she could only convince him to lull her back to sleep with it she could pretend the real reason she was there wasn't important. But it was and she didn't think he would be easily convinced to whisper her to sleep again, anyways. "What's going on, Kenzi?"

She started to push off the wall to stand when he extended a hand and helped her to her feet. She dusted herself off. "I, uh, thought we should talk."

"Did something happen? Are you okay?"

She smiled at that. He was still worrying after her when she had been so horrible to him. "No." She smiled. "I'm fine." She looked up at him, her mouth slightly agape but no words came.

He smiled back at her, suppressing a chuckle. "Kenzi, this is weird even for you."

"I missed you." She touched his cheek.

He turned his head away from her touch. "I'm sorry, but I can't be your hook-up-"

"Oren," she started. He leaned in, waiting for the next piece of her truth. "I love you, I do. And I was so stupid to let you go."

He exhaled, crossing his arms over his chest and she tried to read him. "Come on," he said. "I've got some homebrew in the fridge."

When he turned his back to her to unlock the door, Kenzi did a little dance and looked skyward, grinning.

The door swung open, he switched on the lights in the small unit and went to the kitchenette. He peered into the refrigerator. "You hungry?"

She poked her head into the galley window. "Sure."

He pulled a hoagie wrapped in paper and a pair of brown glass bottles from the refrigerator before standing up straight and closing the door with his foot. Oren set the bottles on the small two-person bistro table and sat across from Kenzi. She stared at him as he unwrapped the sandwich and offered her half on a napkin. Biting into his half, Oren looked up at Kenzi, who looked back at him expectantly.

"So what do you think?" he said, as he chewed the hoagie and swallowed. "About the ale." He took a long swig from the brown bottle and tapped its neck against Kenzi's bottle before she tried the homebrew.

"Huh." She looked at the plain brown bottle and up at Oren. "This is good." She raised her eyebrows appreciatively.

"Thanks, trying to be a guy with a hobby. And if it saves me pay at the pub, I figure it's worth my time."

"Yeah," Kenzi said uncomfortably. This wasn't where she thought the conversation would land when he invited her in.

Oren looked over his sandwich at Kenzi. "So you wanna get back together?"

She choked on a mouthful of ale. "Yeah, I do."

"And you're sure?"

"Is that my sweater?" She stood and walked to his bunk. She looked at him and then to the pile of charcoal grey fabric. Kenzi lifted the hoodie from its resting place, the faded number thirty-four emblazoned on the back.

He set the sandwich down and stood, walking to her side. "You left it here."

"Oh." She smiled sheepishly. "Thanks for keeping it safe for me."

"Kenzi."

She waved a hand and inhaled deeply. "I'm sure." She nodded. "I'm ready."

* * *

END PART TEN


	11. Chapter 11

"When she lowers her eyes she seems to hold all the beauty in the world between her eyelids; when she raises them I see only myself in her gaze."-Unknown

* * *

"We have to recognize that there cannot be relationships unless there is commitment, unless there is loyalty, unless there is love, patience, persistence."―Cornel West

* * *

The bedroom smelled of Bo. It still relaxed her like it did the first time she set foot in the Succubus Queen's private domain, when Lauren wasn't sure of Bo's intentions, or her own. She could hear the shower and found a trail of clothing to the bathroom, picking up the pieces as she went and dropping them in the laundry sack by the closet. When the water stopped, Lauren was there with a towel to dab her face and dry her body. She took this responsibility seriously, toweling off every inch of the Queen as her eyes twinkled blue.

Bo wandered into the closet and emerged moments later dressed in faux leather pants and a black top with fish scale sequins that hung off one of her shoulders. She sat on the end of the bed as she zipped up her thigh-high boots and Lauren watched the entire spectacle with interest from the doorway to the bathroom. She shook her head in disbelief.

"You're stunning," Lauren said, inexplicably out of breath.

Smiling up at her, Bo dried her hair with the towel. She stood and took three bold strides right into Lauren's personal space. "Can't wait to see what you have in store for me." Bo kissed her cheek and walked past her to the bathroom.

Lauren swallowed. _No pressure._ She rifled through the closet until she settled on a dress, a little white dress, formfitting and short, there was nothing about it for Bo to dislike. She stripped in front of the hangers and shelves and emerged in the dress that left little to the imagination. She hopped as she stepped into a pair of heels and smoothed the fabric over her hips before venturing into the kitchen. The meals were exquisite. A prosciutto and melon napoleon and assorted antipasto to start, a garden salad with pomegranate seeds and dressing, and chicken piccata with fettucine alfredo. Lauren's mouth watered. Dessert was in the refrigerator, pavlova with fresh fruit. The chef had gone all out.

She shut the refrigerator door to reveal Bo standing behind it, looking at her with fierce intent. She smiled as if to say _'I see what you did there.'_

When their food was warm, they sat at the table, Bo at one end and Lauren at her side. She found it ridiculous trying to carry on a conversation from the head of the table, besides, tonight Lauren needed the intimacy. There was a disconnect between her and Bo and it was time for a little damage control. "How are you feeling?" Lauren asked as she sliced into her appetizer.

Bo sipped the Beaujolais. "That depends," she said, licking her lips. "Are you asking as my doctor or my lover?"

Lauren frowned slightly, confused. "The answer would be different?"

"Maybe…"

"Bo, I'm worried about you. You turned down sex, you're tired after a pretty routine ride, you're talking in circles." Lauren chased a piece of melon around the plate. "Did you fall when you were riding? Is there something you're not telling me?"

"Is there something you're not telling me?" Bo asked in response.

Lauren sighed. "This is about Violette, isn't it?" Bo raised her eyebrows and shrugged, chewing her mouthful carefully. She groaned. "It's in the past, how many more ways can I say that?"

"She's making her own little fox den in my tower," Bo replied simply. "She seems pretty present to me."

"Should I ask her to leave? Would that assuage your anger at the situation?"

Bo shook her head. "No, of course not. How would that look?"

"Like you're jealous?"

"We can't have that," Bo said in mock horror.

"Bo, please just tell me what's going on."

"I went to see your friend today." Bo drained her wine glass and poured another. "We had an interesting conversation."

Lauren set her fork down, afraid to hear the rest. "Bo…"

She held up a hand. "No, you wanted to hear this… she loves you, or at least _thinks_ she does. And she's not here for sanctuary. She's here for something else."

"How do you know that?"

"I tasted her intentions."

Lauren's eyes widened. "You took her chi?" she asked. "Is she still…?"

"Breathing?" Bo nodded. "Unfortunately yes, the dreadful woman. Is she what passed for relationship material during the war?"

Lauren adjusted the napkin on her lap. "It wasn't a relationship."

"Oh good, as long as you were just fucking…"

Lauren laughed and pushed away from the table. "You know what?" She stood abruptly. "When you're through judging me, I'll be in the library."

Bo set her fork down and sighed miserably. She had single handedly ruined the evening that she set into motion. It was supposed to be about reconnection and being together and now Lauren was two rooms over, reading a book while her dinner got cold…again.

She got to her feet, replacing her chair neatly at the table, buying herself some time before the inevitable. Adjusting her posture, Bo started down the long hallway, stepping into the library. The walls were lined with shelves that reached the ceiling, books from every century filling the space, a rainbow of history and fiction. Lauren sat on a small chair next to a lamp with a book in her lap.

Bo stood in front of her. "Lauren, please come back to the table."

She didn't look up. "I don't feel very much like eating right now."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said those things."

"No, you shouldn't have." She licked her finger and disinterestedly turned a page in the book in her lap.

"What can I do to fix this? Just say the word."

"Trust me."

"I trust you."

Lauren looked up at Bo. "Since our evening has already taken a hit, I'm going to gamble and tell you something. Just remember that you trust me and that I am telling you the whole truth."

"Now you've got me worried."

"Violette tried to sleep with me today." Bo didn't wait for Lauren to continue, that was all she needed to say. She spun on her heel and started out of the room. "Shit." Lauren dropped the book onto the floor and jogged after Bo, grabbing her wrist before she made it out the door. "It didn't happen. I didn't let it happen." She turned Bo's chin to face her. "I only want to be with you, Bo. She can try all she wants, but I won't stray. I love _you_."

Bo took a step forward and kissed her hard. It was a kiss of need and action, of want and possession, it was fiercely guarding her heart, and Lauren was receptive to all of it. She pushed Bo back into the library, tearing at the hem of her sequined top as they stumbled back against a bookcase. Bo grunted as her back hit the shelving, a shower of books raining down on them. Bo covered her head and shielded Lauren from the falling books, all the while fumbling for the zipper on the back of her dress. There was no holding back this time, no tender caresses, no sublime kisses, this was pure animalistic passion, the full force of which Lauren had never felt before.

Bo yanked her dress and it fell to the floor unceremoniously. Pulling the button free and tugging the zipper down, Lauren's hand slipped under the waistband of Bo's pants and pushed them over her ass. Her boots landed with a thud as Bo hastily removed them with Lauren's help, kicking her legs until she was free of the too-tight fabric at last. Lauren's hands wormed under her top, flat palms sliding over her ribs and breasts to her shoulder as she stripped it away.

Embracing her again, Bo pulled Lauren to the antique Victorian sofa at the back of library, flanked by towering bookshelves. She settled in its corner and pulled the doctor against her. The moon was bright tonight, its beams pouring into the only window in the room. A large window, it offered a view of the Outlands-the wasteland that chased them home again-and it framed the upholstered mahogany sofa with moonlight. Lauren's hair was positively ethereal in the white light and her beauty was even more evident.

When Bo made a move to lay her back, she resisted. The frenzy had cooled, but Lauren had not. She slid off Bo's lap and grabbed her by the knees, pulling her to the edge of the sofa cushion and kneeling on the floor in front of her. The lush high-pile carpet was luxurious beneath her and her eyes were wide with wonder as she stared up at the Queen. She was indomitable. Proud and strong, she wore her title even when she wore nothing at all. A spectacle-a sight to see, to be sure-without clothes, Bo knew she was beautiful, she was a succubus after all, but she was shrewdly aware of the consequences of being too much of anything to anyone. She didn't draw jealousy or the ire of her court, simply adoration, even when her formerly bad reputation preceded her. She once ruled with fear but with Lauren a kinder, gentler Queen was born. She was still terrifying to stand before had you broken a law or abused a service of the colony, but chances were you would get to keep your life and that was a definite improvement.

It was a sort of allegory for their relationship as well. Lauren, once the prisoner, her life was spared by the Queen and the tide began to turn in her heart. It wasn't just Lauren that she loved, she loved humanity and all that it brought to the table. Bo tempered her abilities and fed only minimally, she was monogamous with a Human and still she was considered the most powerful Fae.

Her hands were on Bo's inner thighs, guiding her legs apart. Bo was a ticking time bomb having skipped release in the elevator. Her eyes shone blue as Lauren leaned forward and, it was an agonizing moment that stretched on and on before Bo squeezed her eyes shut as Lauren made contact. She cursed quietly and exhaled a shuddery breath.

Lauren took her time, savoring every sound she made, every revolution of her hips, the intensity of her gaze when their eyes connected. Her fingers brushed Lauren's cheek and she closed her eyes, enjoying the connection. And that's what it came down to: the connection between them. Destiny or fate, whatever Bo wanted to call it, Lauren knew in her bones Bo was the one for her simply by the way her chest tightened when Bo looked at her. The fight or flight mechanism was always at work within Lauren and with Bo, as terrifying as she could be, she never felt that way. She felt at home, something she hadn't felt in more than fifteen years. Something she never felt with Violette. Something she never wanted to feel with Violette. She was a diversion, a wake up call for Lauren and now that she was back and wreaking havoc on her future with Bo the fight or flight mode was engaged once again. Except this time she was going to stand her ground and fight for Bo and whatever fate had planned for them in the future.

Bo gripped her shoulders as the furious tempo of her hips reached its climax and Bo moaned, Lauren clinging to her as she rode out the waves of pleasure. She sat back on her heels and watched the Queen come back to herself, the rise and fall of her bosom as her breathing normalized, the glow of her skin, and the return of those dark brown eyes that she had made a career of getting lost in.

She had taken control, put Bo first, and made her point but that wasn't good enough for Lauren. She didn't want there to be any doubt as to the level of her commitment to Bo. That, and Lauren was only Human. Who was she to resist the wiles of a masterful succubus? Crawling up her body, she covered Bo's breast with her mouth. The gasp of surprise that followed made her smile and soon her hand went wandering and settled between her legs again. She straddled Bo's thigh, grinding against it as her fingers pressed into Bo. Her hips jumped and Bo clung to her back, nails scraping against the tender skin she found there. They kissed and it was a religious experience like no other. Paying sacrament to the reverential Queen, singing the hymns of pleasure with her, Lauren coveted her body and mind. She was relentless, teasing and tempting Bo even as her own release loomed closer. Lauren pressed against Bo's thigh again and thrust forward, a moan getting caught in her throat. Her blue eyes shimmered and the sly smile of her intent shone but only for a moment.

When release threatened, Lauren's hand moved in concert with her hips, a steady rhythm tempting her with the dark commandments of their love. This was it, the pinnacle of worship, limbs intertwined, mouths entangled and bodies set on fire with wave after wave of pleasure. Bo gathered her up in her arms and held her tightly, kissing her gently, piously. But the moment of tenderness was brief. Before long, she backed Lauren to the opposite end of the sofa and crawled over her. Bo kissed her lips, the corner of her mouth, her jaw, and her throat, covering Lauren with her body. Her skin was ablaze, her desire burning her alive. Bo reached behind Lauren's head and gripped the arm of the sofa as her hips ground against hers. She was claiming her without words. She was claiming her with her body, with her very soul and she was showing her that Fae law be damned, she was the only Human Bo wanted to be with.

She would always be trying to live up to the ideal version of herself Bo had locked away in her mind. It was one thing to compete with another person, it was entirely another to have to compete with a perfect version of yourself and Lauren knew it well. Bo had been waiting her whole life for destiny to bring them together, it was understandable that she'd have some preconceived notions when it did finally happen, but Lauren never expected it to still be an issue this long into their relationship.

The concentration on Bo's face as she thrust into her was mesmerizing. Lauren's hands grabbed her face and pulled her down into a passionate kiss. Her lips were so soft, her mouth warm and Lauren almost cried out when Bo pulled away. Her forehead rocked back and forth on Lauren's shoulder as her hips' movements became erratic. "Lauren," she whispered against her cheek as her body tensed, hips jerking and slamming into her and Lauren was coming undone as well. Their moans reached a crescendo together and then a hush settled over them. The air was thick and heavy with sex, and silence blanketed the couple as they reclaimed their breath.

Lauren traced the curve of Bo's lips with her finger, bringing her thumb to tease her bottom lip before retreating and capturing Bo's mouth with her own. This kiss was different from every other kiss Lauren had ever bestowed upon Bo. It was her turn to lay claim and Lauren did so with a gusto. Bo held her face as their lips moved against one another. "Bo," she said softly as she pulled away.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I shouldn't have-"

Lauren shushed her with a finger against her lips. She shook her head. "The best part about an argument is the making up."

Bo smiled, relieved to avoid another serious talk and instead be towed down the hallway, through the dining and living rooms and into their bedroom. It was a night of passionate connection, endless and varied. Their bodies moved against one another for hours, bringing each other to the edge and back over and over again. And when they were through, there was little doubt in either of their minds that Lauren was where she was meant to be. And, exhausted and spent, Lauren came to grips with all that had transpired. The unbroken bond that seemed so fragile was fortified and the women were unified once again.

The moon was setting in the skylight and the sky was growing lighter, Lauren held on to Bo, drained from her evening with the succubus. Her whole body ached and she couldn't help but to smile. She was happy, ecstatic, even and it all hinged on Bo. Lauren climbed gingerly out of bed and Bo noticed her discomfort.

"You sure you're okay?"

Lauren smiled over her shoulder. "Never better." To deny herself this triumph was to deny her very existence with Bo. She was always going to be sore or drained after their romps and that was just a fact of biology, but that didn't mean she was going to stop having sex with Bo. On the contrary, she would rebel against the scientific rules of engagement and full steam ahead, she would make her own rules.

* * *

A few days passed and there was still no further sign of Vex or Evony. The silence was unsettling, but her Coronation was a week away and Violette still skulked the halls of the castle under the guise of protection. Lauren rounded the corner to her lab and there she was, leaning against the wall, her hat tipped low on her forehead. She had allowed it to get this bad, the quintessential houseguest from hell, the one that eats all your food, comes on to your girlfriend and trashes her room all the while remaining oblivious to her impact on your life.

Lauren took a step backwards. She cocked her head. "Violette, what are you doing here?"

"I thought you could give me that tour," she replied. "You know, show me where the magic happens…"

Her tone was just as suggestive as her words and Lauren recoiled. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea."

"Come on, what are you afraid of?"

"I don't trust you." She crossed her arms and stood in front of the door defiantly.

"Well that's a fine how do you do." She tipped her hat back and stared at her intently. "What are you working on, Doctor?"

"Violette, I think it's time you and I part ways."

"You want me to leave?"

Lauren blinked trying to hide how appalled she was to be having this conversation. "Yes."

"This isn't about the other day is it, Cherie?"

"In part, yes," she said with a nod. "Look, I just don't think it's appropriate for you to be here anymore. It probably wasn't the best decision in the first place."

"Tsk, tsk, Cherie. Never second guess yourself." The strains of her flirtation were not lost on Lauren and she groaned internally at the advance.

"You're probably right," Lauren started, leaning against the door jamb. "I mean, take you for example, looking back on that decision is something that would certainly end badly."

Violette hissed. "Ouch," she said jamming her hand into the pocket of her jeans and crossing her long legs.

Lauren sighed. "Look, Violette this just isn't working. You've upset Bo and with the ceremony coming up-"

"I've upset the _Queen?_" The delight in her voice was evident. "How?"

"She's unhappy, that's all you need to know."

"You would think the Queen would want to tell me that herself."

Lauren chuckled. "The less she has to do with you, the better, believe me."

"Is that her or you talking?" Violette wondered. "What are you so afraid of, Cherie? That she'll find out you actually _liked_ being with me?"

"Even if that were true, Bo and I don't have secrets."

Violette laughed at that. "Cherie, your whole relationship is built on a lie. One that you told even to me."

"What are you talking about?" Her voice was sharp, cutting through the quiet of the hallway.

"You're a con, Lauren," Violette said, stepping closer to her. "You knew who I was when you slept with me. I was means to an end. You used me so I used you in return. Tell me, what does the Queen have that you want?"

She set her jaw. "Her heart."

Violette was taken aback by her answer and looked at her boots. "A noble cause. I know it well, in fact. There was a time when I hoped you would love me, too."

"Violette," Lauren warned.

The fox waved a hand. "I know that you don't care to hear about such things, Cherie, but you owe me this one time."

"I'm sorry," Lauren said, shaking her head. "I just don't feel that way about you."

"You love her?"

"Without question."

"I never had a shot, did I?"

The pang of a non-existing guilt gave her pause. "It's hard to know where a shot would land if it weren't taken."

"Still talking in riddles, Cherie?"

Lauren exhaled and checked her watch. "I'd love to continue, this but I'm late."

"But you're the boss, are you not?"

"I have work to do. Don't you miss work, Vi?" She needled.

"Someone always gets hurt when I work. It's better this way."

Lauren nodded and looked at the folder in her hands. "Think about what I said." She turned and opened the door to the lab, leaving Violette in the hall.

* * *

END PART ELEVEN


	12. Chapter 12

"The love expressed between women is particular and powerful, because we have had to love in order to live; love has been our survival."-Audre Lorde

* * *

"A wise woman wishes to be no one's enemy; a wise woman refuses to be anyone's victim."-Maya Angelou

* * *

"The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire." -Ferdinand Foch

* * *

Lauren walked the halls of the castle on the way to the lab, eager to disappear in her research for the day. She'd been unable to shake the sensation of waiting for the inevitable to happen, even after spending the morning with Bo. What she didn't expect to see was Violette rounding the corner ahead of her, bag in hand. She was walking briskly, like she always did, appearing and disappearing like a shadow.

"You're leaving?" Lauren asked, surprised.

Violette stopped suddenly and looked just as shocked to run into Lauren. "You're right," she said, as if they had already been talking. "The past is the past and it's time to move on."

Lauren nodded. "And what will you do about Jericho?"

"I can hide." She shrugged. "I've done it before, I'll do it again."

"That's no way to live."

"And you would know, right?" Violette sighed. "I'm sorry." She smiled halfheartedly. "You've got a good thing going here and you don't need me screwing it up."

"I appreciate that." Lauren looked at her bag. "Do you want an escort?"

Violette shook her head. "Best make this a clean break." She reached a hand out to caress Lauren's cheek.

Her hand was cool and stiff. Lauren shivered and Violette smiled, leaving her feeling unsettled. "Goodbye Violette," her voice but a whisper.

She withdrew her hand, warming her other hand with the heat from Lauren's skin before lifting her bag from the floor. "If you ever find yourself on the outs with Queenie, look me up."

Lauren smirked. "I'll tell Bo you said goodbye."

Violette moved past her and started down the hall, stopping to turn back a few feet away. "Have a nice life, Cherie."

* * *

Lauren boarded the Queen's elevator and rode it to the penthouse, putting the research on hold. She thought of Violette and her version of goodbye, relieved that she finally came around. All Lauren could think of was telling Bo she was finally gone. One less thing to worry about with her upcoming Coronation and ongoing life with Bo. Things were hard enough. The elevator dinged and she walked briskly into their home, but scanning the living space she didn't see the Queen.

"Bo?" she called as she walked down the hall. There in the library, sat Bo, reading on the same sofa they had made love on the night before. She hung in the doorway. "Bo," she said again.

Bo snapped the book shut and stood, dropping it where she had sat. "I thought you were going to the lab," she said, smiling at the sight of her. Lauren was drawn to her, walking into her arms and kissing her tenderly.

"I have some good news," she said as she pulled away slightly, Bo's hands at her hips, keeping her close.

"Tell me."

"She's gone," Lauren said with a slight smile. "I saw her leave."

Bo's eyebrows raised. "What made her change her mind?"

"She said she didn't want to come between us and…" Lauren trailed off as a thought rippled through her mind and she came to the realize she'd been had. "Shit," she said, turning in Bo's arms and pulling her toward the door. She paused in the doorway, gently slipping free of Bo's embrace and heading down the hall. "She took something," she said over her shoulder.

Bo followed the doctor to the elevator. "What did she take?"

"I don't know. I just know her and there's no way she'd give up on free room and board to do me a favor."

The elevator doors opened and Lauren stepped inside. "I'm coming with you," the Queen said trailing her into the car. The two posted guards followed suit.

Lauren stood next to Bo in the elevator, casting a glance back at the bench that had seen yet another recent encounter of theirs. Bo caught her looking and smiled knowingly. It was a nice reminder but Lauren didn't dwell on it for long, instead thoughts of Violette and her forked tongue filled her head. How could she have believed her? She felt foolish, especially since there was no shortage of projects she could've stolen from the lab.

They left the elevator and charged down the hall. The lab was closed, locked and dark for the day and Lauren's keys rattled loudly in the hallway as she unlocked the door. Flipping on the lights, she began to go through drawer after drawer. She looked up at Bo who stood, arms crossed, by the door. "It's all here," she said, her eyes scanning the room. "I don't understand."

"Maybe she grew a conscience overnight?" Bo watched Lauren rush toward the corner of the room, to her wall safe. She punched in a number and opened it, deflating instantly.

"No, she's still a thief…" She sagged.

"What is it?"

Lauren gestured to the empty safe. "The serum is gone."

"How did she get in there?" Bo asked.

"She knew my code."

"You haven't changed your code in fifteen years?"

"Can we discuss protocol later, Bo? What are we going to do?" Lauren swore at herself, annoyed she had ignored her own instinct. Her only saving grace was that she was smart enough to keep her notes separate from the serum that was truly of questionable use.

Bo grinned and rocked back on her heels. "Well, whoever she stole it for is in for a rude awakening."

Lauren brushed past Bo without a word, walking briskly to the elevator but instead of going up she went down to the floor where Violette was staying. Bursting into her now vacant room, Lauren systematically turned on every light in the unit. Bo stood back watching Lauren's eyes case the room. Studying every detail, looking for that one thing that was out of place.

She walked to the bed and flipped the pillow on the left side of the bed and beneath it lay a note. Written in a hand with much flourish, Violette had left Lauren something to remember her by.

Cherie,

By now you've discovered that I've taken your beloved serum. Surely you can make more? I've something to offer for an equitable trade if you check beneath the other pillow. It seems you have a rat problem in your decommissioned chapel and the passages that surround it. Accept this coin as a token to help slay your dragon-the mighty Mesmer-once and for all.

J'adore,

Violette

Lauren turned the artifact over in her hand and studied the coat of arms embossed on both sides as Bo read the note. Bo looked up. "The old chapel-I know we've checked there."

"They must've hid somewhere else when the guards searched it," Bo told her. "And it wouldn't have been difficult with the highway of tunnels that join up there."

"Of course!" Lauren looked up at Bo "All the attacks took place in the old portion of the castle where those tunnels ran. The Commissary, the Conservatory, the Mess hall, the Morgue, of course, of course." It was all coming together now. "I know how we're going to stop him."

* * *

Trickling water echoed throughout the underground hallways, pooling in the cracks in between the stones. The rain hadn't done this place any favors, the already thick moss had grown thicker with all the moisture. She could feel it like pillows beneath her feet, deflating as she stepped on them. A flashlight beam reflected in the puddles and up the wall. Kenzi could see the chamber ahead of them and she held up a hand. The men behind her stopped their advance. The click of her weapon sounded like gunshots in the silence. She crept forward, casting a glance at Oren who was right beside her as they entered the old chapel. Hundreds of candles lit the small room and Kenzi's eyes scanned the chiaroscuro on the floor and walls of the chapel until she saw her, barely recognizable, in a puddle on the floor: Elliot, the other missing guard.

"Jesus," Oren said approaching what was left of the body, never having seen Evony's handiwork.

Kenzi sent the other guards to check out the connecting hallways and holstered her weapon. "Dammit!" She kicked a pew. "How are they _still_ two steps ahead of us?"

"We'll get them." He put a hand on her shoulder. "It's gonna be all right," Oren said.

"Nothing about this is all right, Oren. We failed them and we are still desperately trying to keep up with Vex and Evony's demented games."

He wrapped her up in an embrace. "You're right. I know you're right, but can't we just pretend that we have some idea how this is going to end?"

"I have an idea," she said ominously. "But it's not something I dare say out loud." Before Oren could respond, a resounding boom shook the chapel, separating them. Dust filtered down from ceiling, the chandelier swayed, and the candles flickered as a breeze blew into the chapel. "What the shit was that?" Kenzi looked up. The alarm began to sound in the distance and she could hear the guards running towards them from the other tunnels. Kenzi pulled on Oren's arm. "Let's get back to the Queen."

* * *

The alarm had been pulled. They were under attack again. Bo and Lauren were rushed to the relative safety of their penthouse under the care of the General just like the drills so many times before. Bo sat at the dining room table, her lips touching tented fingers while Lauren paced in front of the windows. The Queen had hardly seen her so anxious. Dyson glanced at her as he walked back and forth across the length of the penthouse.

Kenzi and Oren emerged from the elevator sometime later, having sent the other troops to calm the citizens and to find out where that ominous boom originated. They greeted the General with a concerned look and a nod. Lauren stopped and turned to them, running a hand over her face.

Bo pushed the chair back and stood. "Tell me, what has happened?"

Oren glanced at Kenzi before he responded. "Someone destroyed the statue of you in the foyer, my Queen," he said, standing at attention.

"We believe it was a diversion," Kenzi rejoined. "But there's no telling where we'll be hit next."

All eyes were on the elevator when it dinged again and the doors slid open. The car, its light flickering in the aftermath of the explosion, seemed empty. Dyson looked at the Queen and moved quietly into elevator to investigate and a few moments later he emerged, his movements stiff and unfamiliar.

Alarmed, Lauren took a step toward Bo. "Dyson?"

"What is it?" Bo glanced at Lauren as she arrived at her side.

"Something's wrong," Lauren said.

"Dyson?" Bo repeated.

"Well hello, lovelies!" Vex dropped down into the elevator, his hand outstretched. "I bet you're wondering how I arrived in your company."

Oren and Kenzi pulled their weapons on the puppeteer, who giggled and danced in place. He waved his hands and the soldiers were laying down their arms on the floor in front of them helplessly. "I hid on top of the lift until I could put the ol hex on Dyson." He bowed as the Queen's elevator opened and Evony emerged.

"Fashionably late, again," she said as Vex forced Oren to tie Dyson to one of the dining room chairs. At the same time, he had Kenzi disable the elevators, isolating them from the rest of the castle.

Lauren inched towards the kitchen doorway with Bo in tow, but when Vex looked up, he noticed their progress and lifted his arm to halt forward movement. He couldn't keep them all under his control simultaneously, they knew so they bided their time. Lauren kept her eyes trained on him, reading his movements. One false move and he would know Bo wasn't Human anymore or that Lauren possessed the one thing that could demystify the Mesmer's attacks and she wouldn't have the upper hand any longer.

"I didn't mean to get started so soon," Vex said. "But if you must visit the kitchen, bring me back something shiny." He giggled, waving his arm and Lauren walked into the kitchen and pulled a chef's knife from the butcher block on the counter before returning to Bo.

"What do you want from us?" Bo asked, struggling against his powers.

Evony stood in front of the floor to ceiling windows and looked out over the city. "You were never supposed to supposed to live this long," she sighed. "This was all meant to be mine and I've come to reclaim it."

"Blind ambition will destroy you, Evony," Bo said confidently.

She laughed. "Honey, have we met? Evony always lands on her feet." She turned and smiled at Bo. "Except that one time when I landed on my back. Or have you forgotten me already, my Queen?"

Lauren's eyes widened. "You owe me a story," she whispered.

"On with the show, shall we?" Vex interrupted. "You must be wondering why I chose such a shiny _and_ pointy instrument. I'll tell you… I planned a little revival." Lauren tensed, sensing the direction it was turning. "Yes!" He pointed at Lauren. "You know where I'm headed."

A flick of his wrist and Lauren was holding the knife against Bo's throat. She hissed as the blade cut her superficially and her blood began to trickle from the wound. "It would be so easy to just slit her throat right now but what would be the fun in that?"

"Don't make me hurt her," Lauren pleaded.

"Honey, that ship sailed the minute you walked into her life," Evony declared. "You were always going to hurt her."

Lauren furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

"Destiny has a way of evening things out," Evony said.

"Whose destiny?" Bo asked. "Yours or mine, Evony?"

"Why Bo-Bo, it has always been _our_ destiny."

"If you mean your bid for the crown, your destiny is to watch as we take our rightful place on the throne."

Evony glared at Kenzi and Oren next to the elevator, holding them still as she sat at the end of the table, flipping through a magazine. She smiled and returned her gaze to Bo. "When you're bleeding out on the floor just think of me hijacking the Coronation you worked so hard planning."

Vex tapped his foot. "Are we through yet?" He chewed on a fingernail.

She looked up from the magazine. "Do you think the royal tailor can take in your gown on such short notice?"

"Sure, but the Priest is going to need to bless more holy oil," Bo said matter-of-factly.

Vex laughed and held up his hands like a peacekeeper. "Ladies! Let's focus on the task here: the bloody Human is about to become the bloody Human!" He giggled. "I remember it like it was yesterday." He stopped and pointed at Lauren. "And I bet you do, too."

Lauren knew exactly what he was referring to: her brother. Vex had made him kill their parents before killing himself. An act that set her on her current path to her destiny, and one that Lauren could not scour from her brain. Some would say her destiny was to die that day and others, like Bo, would say living through that day turned her mission into a cause and led her to the Queen.

"I won't hurt her," Lauren said, her voice hard.

Vex's grin was menacing, his eyes shining with a twisted glee. "When your knife splits her heart in two, you will know anguish before you gut yourself like a fish."

Evony made a noise. "Euch."

Vex lifted head and raised his arm. Lauren's arm mimicking his as he drew back.

"Fight him, Lauren!" Kenzi shouted. "Fight!"

Evony glared at the humans. "Zip it, Ragamuffin."

Kenzi's eyes grew wide. "What did you say?"

"I said sit!" Vex gestured and Kenzi crumpled to the floor.

Oren was quick to kneel beside her. "Are you okay?"

"Protect the Queen," she whispered.

Oren stood and before Vex could react, he rushed Lauren and knocked her to the floor. Vex's belly laugh was unsettling as Lauren got to her feet with the bloody knife in her crimson soaked hand. Bo stood, aghast as she looked from Lauren to Oren who remained on the carpet, bleeding.

"Oren!" Kenzi crawled quickly across the to him and pressed the wound on his abdomen with her hands. Lauren watched, horrified at what had just happened but unable to offer help.

"How sweet," Evony said. "The little Humans tried to protect the Queen. You're becoming quite the collector of these woeful little creatures, Bo. I remember a time when you would have feasted on their life force." She flipped another page of the magazine she wasn't reading. "And then the blonde one made you soft. I wonder, how did you like the Reynard? Despicable thing, really, but very useful-delivered the explosives right to your doorstep and you didn't even check her bags." Evony sneered.

Lauren's eyes squeezed shut; Bo looked at her, a blank expression was all she was willing to give up to Vex and Evony.

"Come now," Evony continued. "Tell me how is it that your destined lover could have led you to this moment?"

"You've made your point, now leave before I kill you both," the Queen said through gritted teeth.

Vex and Evony looked at one another before bursting into laughter. "Nobody here believes that. Just look around."

The Queen scanned the scene. Kenzi was in tears, Oren was fading, and Lauren's guilt was crippling her plan. Bo's eyes flashed blue and Vex's eyebrows raised. "Oh, right, you see this, Evony?" His hand steadied the Succubus. "I guess the Great Doctor isn't so great anymore. What happened, Blondie?" He teased. "Did the succubus steal your skill as well as your life?" When Bo growled, her eyes a brilliant blue, Vex tsked at her. "Easy now, or I'll make you feed on them. I'm sure Dyson would enjoy watching that." The General growled and fought against his restraints. Vex giggled. "Let's get this show on the road, shall we?" he said, lifting his arms like a maestro.

Lauren raised the bloody knife to Bo's neck again. "I won't hurt her," Lauren said more forcefully this time.

"Your brother said he wouldn't hurt your parents-you saw how well that worked for him."

The fire was alive in her again. The mere mention of her brother sent Lauren into a blind rage which she tempered carefully in front of the Mesmer. Her eyes drifted to Oren who was drifting in and out of consciousness on the dining room floor. Lauren steeled herself against the turmoil she felt and focused her hatred for Vex.

"Time for the star-crossed lovers to part ways. Say 'see you in the afterlife,' ladies." Vex threw his arm into the air and when Lauren didn't respond, he growled and rushed forward. She put a hand on Bo's shoulder and moved her aside as she reached back and threw the kitchen knife at him in one fluid motion. It hit him in the chest with a bloody thump and he staggered backwards, wearing a shocked expression.

Evony looked up from her magazine. "What-?" Bo's eyes flashed and she was drawing Evony's chi from across the room. She wavered before crumpling from the chair to the floor and Bo resisted draining her completely because death was too swift a punishment.

Some would say her destiny was to die that day but Lauren now understood her true path; it was all of it. The death of her family, the years of toil during the war, assuming the leadership of the Human Resistance, getting captured by the Queen, falling in love with Bo, killing Vex, and becoming the Queen Consort. There was so much in store for her, she was certain, but standing above Vex's sputtering body and not moving a muscle to help him made it difficult to see past the moment when she betrayed everything she believed in-the Hippocratic oath-to watch him die.

"Lauren!" Kenzi cried.

She looked up from Vex's body to Oren, who was still hanging on and rushed to his side. "He's in shock." She patted his cheek as his eyes began to close. "Stay with me, Oren." She ripped open his shirt and inspected the wound. "It's superficial," she said. "Keep pressure on it and let's get him to the infirmary." She stood over them. "Kenzi," Lauren said and smiled. "He'll be fine."

Bo untied Dyson. "Call the cleaners," she said.

"Yes, my Queen." He rubbed his wrists. "What would you have me do with Evony?"

Bo looked back at her unconscious body. "Take her to the middle of the Outlands and leave her there without provisions."

He nodded and tied Evony's hands behind her back, threw her over his shoulder and disappeared into the elevator to reset the system. Bo came to stand beside Lauren, who had returned to Vex's body, staring into Vex's lifeless gaze. "C'mon," she said. "Let's take Oren to the infirmary and get some fresh air." Wrapping her arm around Lauren, she pulled her away.

"Wait." Lauren said, kneeling on the floor. She reached over him and pressing two fingers against his neck, as she searched for a pulse. When she was satisfied that he was dead, she returned to Bo and together they helped Oren to his feet. Kenzi wrapped her arm around him and they walked carefully to the Queen's private elevator. Bo reset the lift and a few moments later, the doors were sliding shut. Lauren looked over her shoulder at the Queen and then turned, sagging into her arms. The Queen held her and closed her eyes, listening to the hum of the elevator descending. Lauren sighed. The world was, quite literally, at their feet and with the menace lifted, maybe they could both relax. Lauren did not cry for Vex or Evony or even for herself, she buried her face in Bo's neck to inhale her sweet scent and she was grounded again. Bo spoke of destiny and her Coronation which loomed closer still. With all the distraction it had been easy to forget that she was going to be Queen Consort in three short days. Bo whispered her dreams for them into her hair and ascension grew nearer.

* * *

END PART TWELVE


	13. Chapter 13

"Hold my hand. Let's write this world's fairytale ending - together."-Unknown

* * *

"...the passion contained merely kisses

placed upon lips, neck and cheek

these young lovers of the castle

of which our fairytale speaks..."

― Muse

* * *

"One love, one heart, one destiny."― Bob Marley

* * *

Three days had passed since she watched Vex breathe his last breath and few things were any clearer now. Violette had left her the one thing she had spent countless years searching for: Vex's family token. A tarnished gold coin with his family crest on it. Lore said this was given to the Mesmer's lover for protection from his gifts. The way she understood the story, the token was created by the girl's father after a particularly ugly incident with Vex's family. The father, an alchemist, forged an enchanted coin, giving it to his rebellious daughter who insisted on pursuing an affair with her father's enemy. Lost in time, she had no clue how Violette had found it. She stared into the palm of her hand and at Vex's family name pressed into the precious metal. He was the last of his kind, the last of his family line and she had killed him. There were no regrets, of that she was certain, but Lauren did feel at a loss. She had been raging at Vex for as long as she could remember and Lauren was exhausted from holding onto hate. But now she was unfettered from her past, released from a future where Vex had any part. He was dead and Bo was safe and they were in love. Onto the next chapter of their fairy tale, she smiled and dropped the coin into the bedside table's drawer.

Now, the day had come. It was finally here and Lauren was completely unprepared for it. She had been so distracted with Vex and Evony, Violette and the missing serum, and now she was to be crowned Queen Consort in front of hundreds of people and she had no idea what to expect. Was it a Fae ritual, a religious right or an order of the military? She had no clue. All she knew is that it was important to Bo and damn it, they needed this.

She stared into the mirror, searching her face for imperfections. She didn't have to look far to see the real problem. The skin beneath her eyes had started to sag from not sleeping the past three nights. She couldn't afford to look Human today. Lauren sighed and reached for the cucumber compress. She walked past the gown she was to wear today, hanging in the closet and laid on the bed, placing the compress over her eyes. It would be a miracle if it worked but she had to try. It was the last thing she remembered before she felt the bed sink behind her and Bo's perfume waft over her. Lauren inhaled her. Floral and sweet with a little spice, Bo's scent was not just what was on the bottle, her pheromones had a character all their own, musky and dark, and every bit as tempting.

Bo pressed a kiss onto Lauren's throat, leaning over her on one arm until Lauren lifted the compress and opened her eyes to Bo's vibrant smile. "Are you ready?"

Lauren sat up, frantic. "How long have I been asleep?"

Bo laughed, putting a hand on her arm. "Take it easy, you've got plenty of time." She squeezed her hand. "What I meant was, are you ready to become a Queen today?"

"To be honest?" Lauren started, looking at the compress in her hand. "No, not at all."

Bo made a face. "It's all a trick of smoke and mirrors anyway," she said. "Fact of the matter is you've been royalty for as long as I've known you."

"How so?" Lauren inquired.

"Look at you, this perfection is not meant for commoners."

"How… enlightened of you, Bo," she said skeptically.

She kissed Lauren's cheek. "You just have a quality, I can't explain it."

Lauren ran a hand through her hair. "Are we doing the right thing?"

"And here comes the doubt." Bo sighed. "Look, I've been where you are, I know it's hard but you have to believe that you are meant for this destiny."

"I believe I was meant for you," she said to her hands. "This Queen thing is… well, it's a lot of responsibility, Bo. I want to be with you, I do, but I wonder if you should crown someone more suited for this honor?"

"It's _you_. You're it." Bo reached across the gap between them and cupped her cheek. "Why didn't you tell me you were feeling this way before today?"

She shook her head. "I didn't want to disappoint you."

"So you don't want to go through with this? I'll tell everyone the Coronation is off if that's what you want, but Lauren, please don't short change yourself because you're feeling remorseful."

"I don't- I feel an avalanche of emotions but remorse is not one of them."

"Then what?"

Lauren sighed. "It's like we're getting married, Bo and you never even asked me."

Bo's face went slack. "Didn't I?" Lauren shook her head, her eyes doing all of the talking now. "But you seemed happy when I told you… we made love in the stables to celebrate… I don't understand."

"I will admit I was on board in theory but when I sat down and thought about it…" She sighed again. "I don't know if I'm cut out for this, Bo."

"But you are," Bo reassured. "You are a born leader. You led the Human Resistance…"

"And nobody knew it was me," she deflected.

"Maybe that's your problem," Bo reasoned. "You're scared of fame."

"I'm not _scared_," Lauren defended. "I'm merely put off by the idea of people bowing down to me."

Bo smirked. "You get used to it."

"I'm _serious_, Bo."

"So am I." Bo stood and walked around the bed to the closet and ran her hands over Lauren's gown. "Isn't this just perfect? I commissioned it months ago. You should see what else I have in store for you."

Lauren appeared behind her, dropping her chin on Bo's shoulder as she looked at the gown. "It's beautiful."

"And you're going to look amazing in it." She turned around. "It's time to put it on."

* * *

She stood at the front of the Great Hall, the room packed with guests. Guards lined the room, standing at attention in their royal dress. She could hardly believe it. Lauren looked up at the vaulted ceiling of the hall, remembering the first time she was there, after weeks of sleeping in cars and burned out buildings. Now she was in a dress of the finest quality, standing in front of a court full of Fae and Humans that were there to see her become royalty. It was truly an incredible journey.

Apart from the finery, though, little had changed for Lauren. She was still full of reservations about what was going to happen and she was very nearly ready to walk out on this runaway ceremony. She felt trapped and the panicked feeling in her gut was making it difficult not to run right out the door. She was presented with every manner of gift from various high-standing Fae officials before Bo's entrance and after that nothing else mattered.

The large wooden doors clicked open and the crowd hushed as they were pulled open by two guards, revealing the Dark Queen. Adorned in a royal gown, crown jewels and regalia Bo was a believable picture of royalty. Her gown which was passed down and re-imagined from her mother's was form-fitting vibrant blue velvet with a plunging neckline, pointed collar and flowing silk train the seemed to stretch on forever. She was slack-faced as she approached, but once she passed the last row of guests, Bo could be seen smiling at the sight of Lauren, whose own smile could only be described as one of relief. She couldn't get through this alone, but with Bo there she was reassured, refocused and ready to do what needed to be done. She was ready to become a Queen.

Lauren drank her in with her eyes. Powerful, stunning, and deadly if crossed, Bo was the embodiment of a Goddess. She moved deliberately to the front of the stage and her voice boomed in the silence of the hall.

"I know that you've all come here today to see Dr. Lewis be crowned Queen Consort, but I'm afraid that's not going to happen today." The gallery gasped and began to talk amongst themselves, and Lauren looked around, confused. Bo continued over the din of the crowd. "I'm afraid I didn't give Dr. Lewis all the credit that she's deserved of when I offered her the title of Queen Consort and I regret that." She looked at Lauren. "So today, I will be crowning Dr. Lewis Queen Regnant. She is my equal and shall be treated as such."

Lauren sucked in a breath. The crowd hushed, processing the information and then began to clap-a few bold guests to begin with and then the entire congregation of guests followed. Lauren exhaled, sending a anxious glance in Bo's direction. The Queen's eyes smiled and told her everything was still on track, everything was going to be okay. She just had to get through the ceremony.

When the crowd settled a few moments later, Bo continued, her voice carrying through the hall. "It's no secret that Dr. Lauren Lewis used to be an enemy of the crown, the leader of the Human Resistance, but when we first met, I knew there was something special, something different about Lauren. She was devoted and headstrong, her wild eyes belied something else. Something more calculating and brave. She survived my dungeon, my Blue Room, my court of opinion and she won my heart. Since then we have bartered peace, upgraded our medical facilities and quality of services offered. Our troops, now tasked with peacekeeping, are looked after by the finest medical staff and it's all due to her influence. She has been a revelation and a life saver. A friend and an upstart. I am so honored to be here with you all today to see her ascend."

Lauren swallowed. She hadn't expected speeches, much less one from Bo and she desperately tried to look unaffected by the words that had just touched her so. All this time she felt overshadowed by Bo's status so she worked like a dog-or a Human-to make things better for the colony, to find her place, and Bo had noticed. It's not that she didn't feel appreciated because Bo doted on her and complimented her constantly, but Lauren always felt a bit hollow when she had disappointed her, like she wasn't living up to her potential and was somehow less than who Bo had originally thought she was.

The doors at the end of the hall opened again and three robed figures approached, hoods up. The robes were fine blue velvet with an Imperial eagle stitched in gold thread over their hearts, an elaborate scabbard hanging from their belts. They stood before her and before she knew what was happening, she stared at the tips of three swords as they advanced and pressed against her heart. She looked over her shoulder at Bo, whose expression remained grim and then back at the three faceless figures.

What happened next, was something that would keep Lauren up at night: the first of the robed mystery figures went down on one knee before her, lowering his sword and offering it to her. "This is the Sword of Justice. Do you solemnly swear to serve your colony?"

Lauren recognized his voice and she nodded. "I do."

He laid the sword on the top stair at her feet and pulled back his hood. "I am bound to serve you." Dyson. It was _Dyson_. He had bowed before her and pledged his service. Lauren was speechless.

The next robed figure withdrew their sword and repeated the standard set by Dyson. "This is the Sword of Mercy. Do you solemnly swear to offer protection to those in need?"

"I do."

The Sword of Mercy was set on the second step down by her feet, his allegiance spoken. The hooded figure was Oren. He winked at her and she stifled a smile. The last sword withdrew from her chest and she breathed in deeply.

"This is the Sword of Loyalty," the last hooded figure said and Lauren would recognize that voice anywhere. "Do you solemnly swear to honor your colony with every decision you make and action you take?"

"I do."

The final sword was placed on the last step and the robed figure revealed herself to be Kenzi. Lauren could tell she was fixing to burst from her controlled confines and she smiled. Bo appeared behind her with an attendant helping to hold a royal robe. It was purple velvet, trimmed in ermine fur and it weighed a ton. Bo dressed her in front of two hundred people and Lauren felt a little self conscious about it but received the kiss on her cheek gratefully as the Bishop approached with the chrismatory. She closed her eyes as he spread the anointing oil on her forehead and chanted something unrecognizable. _Was that Fae?_

And then he was gone and Bo was presenting her with a scepter that she had made specially for this occasion. It was three feet long, platinum staff with an acrylic inlay of a double helix in the staff and a caduceus at its apex. It was heavy in her hand and it was her favorite thing about the whole process until Bo turned her body to face her and bowed to one knee. She lifted Lauren's other hand from her side and slid a ring onto her finger. Her heart thudded hard against her chest when Bo looked into her eyes and smiled softly. Lauren looked at her hand as Bo stood. It was a massive Marquise-cut blue Sapphire set in platinum once again, surrounded by round brilliant cut diamonds. The gem was absurdly large, but beautiful nonetheless.

Bo moved to the next attendant that held a pillow with a silver crown that sat on it. She stood before Lauren, crown held carefully in her hands and asked her the final question: "Do you solemnly swear to govern a fair and equitable society, to nourish and enrich the lives of those who serve you and to honor your word at all costs?"

Lauren swallowed and nodded. "I do."

Bo lowered the radiant crown onto her head. It fit like she was always meant for it and Lauren smiled at the congregation of well-wishers who cheered and stood, filing to the front of the hall and laying more gifts at her feet. It was a surreal imagining, this ceremonial procession before her. Bo stood beside her, smiling proudly, and Lauren began to feel the weight of the words spoken that afternoon.

Bo held her crown as she leaned into Lauren and whispered in her ear. "Just keep breathing and keep smiling, we're almost through."

"Did we just get married?" Lauren asked from behind her hand.

"Very nearly," Bo replied, with a smile.

"Oh, good," she said, laced with sarcasm. She looked at the ring again, the scale of which was impressive. When Bo caught her looking at it, she nodded knowingly.

"Ladies and gentlemen," a voice boomed through the hall. "The royal banquet will begin in thirty minutes." The instruction seemed to expand at the seams with guests paying homage to the new Queen Regnant.

"C'mon," Bo whispered into her ear, taking her hand. "I have something I want to give you before the banquet."

Bo pulled her away from the last few stragglers who approached the stage. "I don't think we have time for that."

She laughed. "You're Queen Regnant now," she said. "You make the timetable for your events."

In the hallway, Bo pulled back a curtain to reveal a private chamber that she was obviously waiting in before the ceremony. She tugged Lauren into the small room and bolted the door behind them. The walls were lined with ancient books and one small window near the ceiling from which sun streamed into the room by. She stood beside Bo in front of an antique sofa, her fingers combing the fur edges of the robe on her shoulders. Bo reached for a box she'd left on the table beside the sofa. Lauren's eyes were wide as they roamed the chamber. There were so many places she still was blind to in the castle, but one by one, Bo was showing her its secrets. This, though, this chamber was the oldest she had seen. The bookcases were ruggedly carved, the books, tattered and yellowed. All the history this room had seen.

Bo placed her hand on her arm. "This is to commemorate your coronation," she said softly. "I didn't feel right giving it to you in front of everyone."

The black leather box was set in her hands. "Bo…" She said. "You've done enough…"

"Just open it."

The box creaked as she opened it to reveal a fine glass heart with a gold lock sunken into it, a golden key was pinned to the box's interior. "Bo, I don't know what to say…"

"Say you'll keep my heart close to yours."

In the rosy light of the afternoon sunset, Bo lit a fire in the hearth. Wood crackled as Lauren set the gift down and Bo relieved her of her finery. The imperial robe rolled off her shoulders into Bo's waiting arms and she laid it on the sofa. Her platinum gown was unzipped next and she let it fall to the floor. Lauren stood before her naked and lovely, her crown still sparkling on her head. Bo smiled and stepped forward to kiss her neck before retreating again as she began to strip away the accoutrements of being Queen. Bo dropped her silk train and turned her back to Lauren to ask for assistance in unfastening the countless buttons on the back of her gown. As the lush fabric dropped to the floor, Bo took Lauren in her arms. Crowns set aside, bare skin pressed together, flushed, and breathing heavily they sunk to the floor in front of the fireplace. And there, by the light of the fire and well into the banquet's allotted time, they made love.

From under the robe that once hung from Lauren's shoulders, they lay, spent and peaceful. Lauren stared at the painted ceiling, the fire warming her from one side and her succubus Queen from the other. She smiled then, feeling Bo lean into her, her arm wrapping around her waist as her lips kissed a trail from her shoulder to her jaw.

"My Queen," Bo whispered against her ear.

And it was history in the making.

* * *

Fin.


End file.
